Public Liability Insurance when travelling and camping

Submitted: Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006 at 10:53
ThreadID: 32981 Views:2476 Replies:9 FollowUps:9
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In post 32025, Austravel was looking to get Public Liability Insurance for their extended trip as they has sold their house.

This made me think whether we should be getting travel insurence, even for the weekend trip.

(There could be many instances of you causing injury to someone. For example you might get drunk one night while camping with your mates and think it'd be funny to put a snail in someone's beer bottle which results with them getting seriously ill.)

But seriously...

On a recent (4 day) trip to moreton Island we had some kids with us who built a sand castle on the beach, as kids should. They were using a small shovel to do this and consequently left a hole in the beach which is vary normal, except that this beach is also a road.

Now, consider if a car hit this hole at 60km/h it could easily roll and be written off. The car insurance pays the $60 000 for the car to the owners. Then the insurance company comes after YOU to recover the costs.

Say, it goes to court and the court decides that any reasonable driver should have known that kids build sandcastles on the beach and drivers should therefore drive carefully.

The insurance company appeals to the high court where the arguement centres around whether the beach is a road, a playground or the ocean as the accident was below the high water mark. After 3 days the decision goes against you as you should have known that cars use the beach and the hole would be a danger to cars and their occupants. You have to pay for the car AND court costs of $50 000 a day over three days.

To pay the $210 000 bill you sell your house.

So, my question is:
1 Has anyone bought travel insurance for day to day travel in Aus.
2 Has anyone been in a situation where somebody else has or was likely to sue them.
3. Has anyone ever had to recover money for damages / exepenses, while travelling, from another person.

I'm guessing that this sort of thing would be very rare, (about the same as winning the lotto.)

BTW, it costs around $35 to insure for $200 000 for 12 months and I doubt your car or home insurance would cover such events unless your car or home was directly involved.

R
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Reply By: Shaker - Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006 at 11:14

Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006 at 11:14
Maybe, as the kids were under your control, you should have filled in the hole?
AnswerID: 167532

Follow Up By: Marn - Tuesday, Apr 25, 2006 at 06:39

Tuesday, Apr 25, 2006 at 06:39
Tell them it was a TURTLE!! HAHA
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FollowupID: 424185

Reply By: Truckster (Vic) - Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006 at 11:26

Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006 at 11:26
I think we all need insurance to wake up every day.

Went to book my 2yr old daughters birthday party at a place we usually go to for parties called " XXXXXXXXXXXXXX Indoor Play & Party Centre"

They can no longer allow BIRTHDAY CAKES! Nobody will insure them if they allow BIRTHDAY CAKES - The reason given -
"We cannot tell what is in the cake and if it is safe."...

Again... stop the world, I want to get off.
AnswerID: 167537

Follow Up By: Exploder - Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006 at 11:57

Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006 at 11:57
Agree all this sorter chit is just getting out of hand everybody is just looking to blame somebody else.

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FollowupID: 422732

Reply By: Utemad - Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006 at 11:55

Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006 at 11:55
My Wife had an accident while riding her pushbike. She was hit by a car (slowly).
The drivers insurance company gave us a bill for nearly $2k for car repairs. We called our home insurance company and they sorted it out. In the end our insurance company told his to get stuffed. Even though the Police report blamed my Wife for the accident.

They were very helpful. Cost to us was $100 excess.
AnswerID: 167541

Follow Up By: robak (QLD) - Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006 at 12:03

Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006 at 12:03
utemad

It's good to see that your house insurance took care of it.
I was just interrested if they paid the $2000. If not, why did you have to pay the $100 excess?

R.
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FollowupID: 422735

Follow Up By: Utemad - Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006 at 12:17

Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006 at 12:17
The reason we had to pay the $100 is that you have to pay your excess before your insurance company will move. Then if your company does not have to pay then you get it back.
However in our case the insurance companies came to the decision that each company would pay their clients claim. So QBE paid for the drivers claim and Suncorp payed for ours. Only thing is that we didn't actually have a claim as the bike was fine and my Wife's medical bills were covered by Work Cover (on her way home from work).

We didn't complain about losing our $100 excess as we reckoned that Suncorp earned it. I couldn't see us getting out of paying the bill from QBE otherwise. Especially when the Police report blamed my Wife entirely (without even interviewing her I might add).
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FollowupID: 422739

Follow Up By: robak (QLD) - Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006 at 12:21

Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006 at 12:21
It looks like a good result then.

I've noticed that sometimes insurance compenies like to "settle" if both parties are insured with the same company. That way they get excess from both sides.

Thanks for the info

Cheers

R.
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FollowupID: 422742

Follow Up By: Utemad - Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006 at 13:20

Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006 at 13:20
Considering I didn't really like the other driver and how much he assured us it was her fault. I like thinking about how he would have not gotten his $300-$350 excess back either :-)
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FollowupID: 422750

Reply By: Utemad - Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006 at 13:24

Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006 at 13:24
I have never gotten travel insurance for within Australia. Only ever overseas stuff. However travel insurance is great for all sorts of stuff other than just medical and liability.
The insurance I get covers theft, missed flights, car insurance excess, missed holiday time due to unforeseen problems. All sorts of stuff.

Never had a claim though.
AnswerID: 167555

Reply By: Footloose - Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006 at 18:29

Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006 at 18:29
This appears to be a good question. I've never thought about travel insurance inside Oz. I guess its time to talk to the travel ins people, about if I'd need it and what they exclude yadda yadda.
AnswerID: 167620

Reply By: Kenell - Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006 at 18:53

Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006 at 18:53
Robak,

I believe an informed insurance expert would advise as follows. Whilst you have a home and contents and keep them insured you will have liability insurance for the Frasers Island type incident that you refer to. It indemnifies all permanent residents of the home if an action is brought against them. You need travel insurance for this only if you dont have cover under a home / contents insurance or if you travel o/s and your policy doesnt extend to that. The pushbike incident is also covered under the home / conts. If the home /contents have been sold in favour of the life on the road - find a way of getting the liability protection. Travel Ins is one but cover can be limited. As for the birthday cake issue. In 33 years I have not heard of that one. Methinks someone is pulling the wool or something.

Ken
AnswerID: 167624

Reply By: Mike Harding - Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006 at 19:05

Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006 at 19:05
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagggggggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Mike Harding
AnswerID: 167627

Reply By: Willem - Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006 at 19:21

Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006 at 19:21
Hmmmmmm.......................

An Optimist sees the Donut

A Pessimist sees the Hole

Enough said....lol
AnswerID: 167634

Follow Up By: roofscooter2 - Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006 at 19:42

Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006 at 19:42
Willem, your'e not supposed to put things like that on this forum ,are you? it can be miscontrued as rude in a nudest park.lol.
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FollowupID: 422831

Follow Up By: Willem - Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006 at 19:52

Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006 at 19:52
When gravity started taking over on the contours of my body I stopped visiting nudist parks. So I have no qualms about what I have posted...lol
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FollowupID: 422835

Follow Up By: roofscooter2 - Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006 at 20:48

Tuesday, Apr 18, 2006 at 20:48
So you are having the same problem as i,you can put air in the spare tyre but it just keeps leeking out the valve & nothing can be done for us.Itis a shame we can not get a spre wheel carrier on backs & put it out of our sight. Lol.Cheer's & enjoy your trip. Bob.
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FollowupID: 422856

Reply By: robak (QLD) - Wednesday, Apr 19, 2006 at 09:41

Wednesday, Apr 19, 2006 at 09:41
Thanks everyone for your respenses.

I know this is hair tearing stuff but it happens so often it's not even newsworthy.

In my case as I don't own a home and only have a $6000 car so it's unlikely that anyone would sue me if I cause them damage. They'd just have to cop the costs themselves.

So to be a good, responsible citizen who takes responsibility for his actions (or inactions), I guess I should invest in travel insurance to protect the people I may injure.

Cheers.

R.
AnswerID: 167751

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