Introduction -
as the owner or occupier of a building, you may find
yourself subject to a Public Liability claim and it is important to know the
various covers afforded to you under Buildings & Contents Insurance Policies.
Whilst a large number of liability claims that are submitted cannot be proved ,
it is worth remembering that the cover also includes payment for the costs of
defending the claim, this can often turn out to be rather expensive in it's own
right. The liability covers under Buildings & Contents Insurance tend to
be part of the core wording and thus you are not charged any additional premium
for their inclusion. In some cases you may be able to increase the limit of
indemnity if you feel it is required.
When calculating your premium, your insurers, unless you have told them
otherwise, are under the opinion that your property is used for residential
purposes only. If you are running a business at the property and someone becomes
injured, whether it is a member of the public or your staff, it is highly
unlikely that your claim will be paid.
Property Owners Liability - liability claims can arise out of accidents
caused by your ownership of a building. Perhaps a slate that has not been
correctly maintained falls off the roof and hits a passerby on the head, or it
may fall on a passing car. You may have a tenant in the building and they may
injure themselves in the property and claim it was as a result of your
negligence. Cover for Property Owners Liability is provided under the Buildings
section of a policy with an indemnity limit of a minimum of £1,000,000. Most
policies now include cover as required by the defective premises act 1972 in
respect of any previously owned property. Although Property Owners Liability is
the correct term to use, you may find some local authorities and lenders refer
to it as Public Liability cover.
Occupiers Liability - most accidents in and around the home tend to fall
under the heading of Occupiers Liability and this risk is covered by the
Contents section of your policy. This will cover accidents occurring in your
home to guests or domestic servants.( An example would be tripping on the stair
carpet and falling down the stairs. The injured person might try to prove that
it was your fault because the stair carpet was not fixed down properly.
The law can be very complicated when deciding under which policy a liability
claim should fall. If you are an owner occupier of a building, you will need
both Buildings and Contents cover. A landlord will need both particularly if he
has placed contents in the flat as this will then provide him with the liability
cover attached to the ownership and supply of the Contents. A tenant will
require contents only as this will give them the necessary occupiers liability
cover.
Personal Liability Cover - personal liability
covers any accidental injury to other people or damage to their property which
does not fall under any of the above sections.( negligence must be proved of
course). It includes accidents away from the home in the United Kingdom
and in most cases for temporary trips abroad. The cover usually includes
accidents or injuries caused by domestic pets. This cover is usually given as a
free extension of your contents insurance policy but there are quite a few
exclusions (damage caused by cars, boats, aircraft,model aircraft or damage to
your own or a member of your family's property.
Copyright Assetsure Limited 2007
back to
top
