Do I need insurance?

[splishsplosh35]

I'm planning DS 2nd birthday party for the end of the month. It will be a small children's party and we've invited about 10 children from our friends and family so we know all the parents. There's only 1 parent we don't know really well which is a neighbour. We're hopefully having a bouncy castle as long as the weather's ok and DS has got lots of outside toys after the lovely summer we had last year.

My MIL is a very negative person at the best of times. When she heard of our party plans she told me about her daughter having an accident on a bouncy castle when she was younger and ended up in hospital and advised me to get insurance for the party.

This just sounds ridiculous to me. If DS had an accident at a party I wouldn't blame the parents and it wouldn't even enter my head to take legal action.

Am I being naive? Is it ridiculous or is this the way things are now?

Is it a hired bouncy castle or your own?

Doesn't your home insurance have public liability cover, or some kind of cover for guests to the home? I think you are a bit naive in assuming people wouldn't sue - there's been a number of cases relatively recently where children have died/suffered life-changing injuries on bouncy castles: I suspect anyone having the misfortune to suffer similarly isn't just going to shrug their shoulders and say, "oh well, accidents happen".

If you're hiring a bouncy castle they should have insurance cover but I would check, personally I would expect them to have a fairly high limit of indemnity.
You will have public liability under your household policy but I would phone and check they are happy with a bouncy castle, I doubt many people actually do this but the last thing you would want is for something to happen and then find out you're not covered.

We have always told our insurance company when we have hired bouncy castles. Better safe than sorry.
We also told them when we got a trampoline

Thanks for your replies. I will phone the insurance company today xx