Visicover Insurance

[ylop]

I'm just awaiting a quote from Visicover.
I notice in their policy booklet under 3rd Party liability they state...

5.a.1) What is covered:
Cover is provided for:
1. Sums which any Permitted User is legally liable to pay arising out of their interest in or use of
the Vessel, Trailer or Trolley resulting in:
a. death or bodily injury to any person; or...

5.a.2) What is not covered:...
4. Liability arising whilst the Vessel or Trailer is being towed by or is attached to a motor vehicle
or has broken away from or become accidentally detached from a motor vehicle."...

My vessel is laid up every year on a yard trailer that is towed up/down the slipway by the club tractor. If, for example, the boat were to fall off the trailer and kill/maim a member of the club who was not participating in the movement would I likely be deemed liable and would I be or not be covered?

I'll probably check with Visicover but any opinions?

Are you driving the tractor?
- if so you should probably be confirming its insurance position, as it’s probably more likely that your driving causes harm than the boat spontaneously falling off the trailer.
- if not then I’d want to know if the driver/club were insured in case they were negligent and harmed my boat (eg, by reversing into it)

It’s difficult to see how you as owner of the vessel would be deemed liable for harm caused by the boat falling off a trailer which you were not in control of at the time. Perhaps if you declared it safe to move and there was a defect.

If there are other members of the club not involved in the launch, wandering round in locations where a trailer/boat being moved could topple over on them then the club committee might want to be questioning if it has sufficient controls in place!

It’s never possible to insure against every nuance, but for YOU to be liable YOU have to have both owed someone a duty of care, and been negligent. Anyone pursuing a claim may have multiple people to pursue - they are likely to decide who to target based on likelihood of success and ability to pay.

 

[alahol2]

The club will (hopefully!) have insurance for such a situation...

Are you driving the tractor?
...
It’s difficult to see how you as owner of the vessel would be deemed liable for harm caused by the boat falling off a trailer which you were not in control of at the time...

I own and maintain the vessel and trailer. I would not be driving the tractor.
I know the club do have insurance in place.
I suspect the situation would be a real hornets nest which I pray would never come to pass.
I'm awaiting a reply from Visicover as to my status during boat movements ashore.

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[alahol2]

Got a reply from Visicover which was a bit inconclusive but they seem to be saying that I would be covered whilst " being lifted in, hauled out or launched."

Their quote is substantially cheaper than my current insurer.
No survey is required. The boat is 47 years old and not particularly valuable (<£20K).

In the current climate of rising prices the quote is approaching 'too good to be true' status, Which makes me a little wary... but then again I don't want to look a gift horse in the mouth.

 

[Graham376]

Are you driving the tractor?
- if so you should probably be confirming its insurance position, as it’s probably more likely that your driving causes harm than the boat spontaneously falling off the trailer.
- if not then I’d want to know if the driver/club were insured in case they were negligent and harmed my boat (eg, by reversing into it)

It’s difficult to see how you as owner of the vessel would be deemed liable for harm caused by the boat falling off a trailer which you were not in control of at the time. Perhaps if you declared it safe to move and there was a defect.

If there are other members of the club not involved in the launch, wandering round in locations where a trailer/boat being moved could topple over on them then the club committee might want to be questioning if it has sufficient controls in place!

It’s never possible to insure against every nuance, but for YOU to be liable YOU have to have both owed someone a duty of care, and been negligent. Anyone pursuing a claim may have multiple people to pursue - they are likely to decide who to target based on likelihood of success and ability to pay.

There can be a grey area with club equipment as generally, all members are part owners of it. This can lead to problems if one member damages another's property/boat when using equipment owned by both. On advice from insurers, to cover this area for our club, I took out a Member to Member liability policy.

 

[alahol2]

There can be a grey area with club equipment as generally, all members are part owners of it. This can lead to problems if one member damages another's property/boat when using equipment owned by both. On advice from insurers, to cover this area for our club, I took out a Member to Member liability policy.

Thanks. I'll check with the club.

 

[alahol2]

The Visicover model is certainly different from the usual... I'm used to paying an annual premium.
I sail for 6-7 months during the summer then the boat comes ashore into the club compound for 5-6 months.
If I go with Visicover I will be in commission on a mooring (In May) and will pay a premium based on that.
When I come ashore in the autumn I will change the status to laid-up and the location to club compound, the premium will then be recalculated and (presumably) a refund will be sent to me.
When I relaunch in spring I will change the status to in commission and the location to my mooring, the premium will be recalculated again and an invoice sent for the balance to the end of the cover year.

In theory this will reduce my annual premium, which is a good thing, but it seems a very convoluted way of going about things.

 

[yotter]

The Visicover model is certainly different from the usual... I'm used to paying an annual premium.
I sail for 6-7 months during the summer then the boat comes ashore into the club compound for 5-6 months.
If I go with Visicover I will be in commission on a mooring (In May) and will pay a premium based on that.
When I come ashore in the autumn I will change the status to laid-up and the location to club compound, the premium will then be recalculated and (presumably) a refund will be sent to me.
When I relaunch in spring I will change the status to in commission and the location to my mooring, the premium will be recalculated again and an invoice sent for the balance to the end of the cover year.

In theory this will reduce my annual premium, which is a good thing, but it seems a very convoluted way of going about things.

I have changed to Visicover. My understanding that the premium is fixed if I make no changes. I emailed them to let them know that the boat had been launched and was now on a marina berth (as specified as one of the mooring locations, I have 3), they replied that they did not need to know about changes to specified mooring locations.

 

[alahol2]

I have changed to Visicover. My understanding that the premium is fixed if I make no changes. I emailed them to let them know that the boat had been launched and was now on a marina berth (as specified as one of the mooring locations, I have 3), they replied that they did not need to know about changes to specified mooring locations.

So was your vessel in commission ashore then? Perhaps if I just leave it in commission for the 12 months they don't need to know if it's ashore or afloat.

 

[Tranona]

So was your vessel in commission ashore then? Perhaps if I just leave it in commission for the 12 months they don't need to know if it's ashore or afloat.

Generally speaking ashore premiums are little different from in commission as the risk is not necessarily lower, just different. The biggest source of claims is for damage, mostly ashore due to weather conditions. An annual premium reflects the overall level of risk over the period.

 

[ylop]

So was your vessel in commission ashore then? Perhaps if I just leave it in commission for the 12 months they don't need to know if it's ashore or afloat.

if they don’t like a location for 12 months of the year they tell you when you add that location.

 

[yotter]

I have changed to Visicover. My understanding that the premium is fixed if I make no changes. I emailed them to let them know that the boat had been launched and was now on a marina berth (as specified as one of the mooring locations, I have 3), they replied that they did not need to know about changes to specified mooring locations.

Indeed