Tenant falls in her unit and wants my homeowner's insurance

[Mikaela Ausbon]

I own a duplex in Los Angeles County. My tenant lives in the unit above me and has been there since before I purchased the property (She is also a section 8 recipient). A few weeks ago, her washer and dryer hose burst causing a massive water leak. So much that it was raining from my recessed lights. She stated in her hurry to notify me, she slipped and fell in her kitchen. The leak was immediately resolved within hours of the onset and the plumber summed the cause of all this to an old washer hose (nothing having to do with my pipes). 

Fast forward a few weeks later, she states to me that her back has been hurting since then and after seeking advice from her doctor, they suggested she see a specialist. She states she is unable to afford the medical premiums and thus wants to make a claim through my home owner's insurance. For context, this is my first property that I purchased a couple years ago at 26 years old. So this is new territory and I feel as though she is basically trying to sue me. 

I guess my question is, what do I do? I have homeowner's insurance and they do cover injury. But am I truly liable for what happened to her in her unit from her washer and dyer?  Does anyone have any experience with this and can give me some advice or resources to read up on?

[John Clark]

Quote from @Mikaela Ausbon:

I own a duplex in Los Angeles County. My tenant lives in the unit above me and has been there since before I purchased the property (She is also a section 8 recipient). A few weeks ago, her washer and dryer hose burst causing a massive water leak. So much that it was raining from my recessed lights. She stated in her hurry to notify me, she slipped and fell in her kitchen. The leak was immediately resolved within hours of the onset and the plumber summed the cause of all this to an old washer hose (nothing having to do with my pipes). 

Fast forward a few weeks later, she states to me that her back has been hurting since then and after seeking advice from her doctor, they suggested she see a specialist. She states she is unable to afford the medical premiums and thus wants to make a claim through my home owner's insurance. For context, this is my first property that I purchased a couple years ago at 26 years old. So this is new territory and I feel as though she is basically trying to sue me. 

I guess my question is, what do I do? I have homeowner's insurance and they do cover injury. But am I truly liable for what happened to her in her unit from her washer and dyer?  Does anyone have any experience with this and can give me some advice or resources to read up on?

Notify your insurer immediately. Also tell your insurer that she was required to have insurance. Let your fight hers.

Also, you could very well be liable for not replacing old  hoses on appliances that you own/supply.

First things first. Notify your insurer. If she doesn’t have insurance but was required to, talk to your lawyer about eviction. Be very careful, however, as you need to avoid anything that smacks of retaliation.