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What happens if someone gets drunk at your Super Bowl party and gets hurt or hurts someone else driving home? Your homeowners' insurance coverage protects certain situations, but not others.

Insurance Council of New Jersey President Christine O'Brien says if an injury occurs in your home on Super Bowl Sunday, "chances are that your homeowners' policy will cover the full liability or majority of that liability of that injured person or the damaged property."

O'Brien says if someone drives drunk after your party and gets into an accident, "the drunk guest is not covered by the host's insurance policy. But everybody else who was injured or property that sustained damage could be covered by the host's insurance policy." And she says if a drunk guest backs over your mailbox while leaving the party, "they (the homeowner's insurance) will pick that up."

O'Brien says the best policy is for homeowners and guests to use common sense. She has a few suggestions for Super Bowl party hosts and guests to keep in mind:

1) If someone is visibly intoxicated, stop serving them immediately.
2) You will be held liable if you serve alcohol to minors, and they then are in an accident of some kind.
3) Have designated drivers.

O'Brien also adds to that list a caution about the fact that Super Bowl Sunday is a big cooking day.

"So be mindful of your grills, your crock pots, leaving your ovens on to heat food. Be mindful of your cooking apparatus, because people do tend to get caught up in the game and forget some of the more basic safety things that they should be taking care of."

O'Brien suggests that you make sure that you have the small items and things cleared out of the way for the party, so guests can move about freely.

And make sure your big flat screen TV is properly secured to the wall. You wouldn't want it to flatten a guest.

Joe Cutter is the afternoon news anchor on New Jersey 101.5

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