Pet Insurance & Public Liability – Are You Safe From A Personal Injury Compensation Claim?
If like many of us, you have a pet, it would be wise to protect yourself by considering pet insurance and public liability. Perhaps it's the thought of expensive vet bills due to an illness or accident that makes you hesitate over any potential financial compensation claim. For some people this may be the case but there are many instances where a pet damages someone else's property or is involved in an accident with another person.
This blog post will take a look at what these insurances are and how they work so then you can make the decision as to whether or not they're right for your situation.
What is the risk of being hit by a car?
This most likely won't happen to you but as many people living in urban areas will attest, it can. Now don't get paranoid and start wondering what colour the car is, where its driver is coming from or going to, when it passed you and what happened. But if you're wondering then maybe you should think about getting public liability insurance or a similar type of insurance that covers your home. Why? If you have no driving licence and are not using a car then the two most likely scenarios are public transport (walking etc) and cycling (if anyone would be stupid enough not to have the cover).
What if I need a medical procedure?
What if you need a dental or plastic surgery? Well, you would be covered for that. This could potentially save you from having to pay out thousands of pounds in the event of an accident or illness. The cost of a dental insurance policy is kept low via various methods. One way is using the discount offered by your dentist in conjunction with their policy. Another way is using a cash discount plan where cover is available at a cheaper rate than if you bought it outright as part of your policy. If you had pet insurance then it would be even more cost effective because they come with a significant cash discount attached to them.
What if I am involved in a road traffic accident?
This is the scenario where many people try to avoid pet insurance, thinking the worst. If you are hit by a car then this is where your pet insurance could help you. You can also cover your house and possessions too. If you have no driving licence then the chances of being involved in an accident are significantly reduced as there will be no risk to yourself, simply to any third party acting negligently should they collide with your pet or home.
Where possible, consider getting a policy that would cover damage caused to the public roads and infrastructure such as potholes or snow ploughing etc. This would mean that your home or vehicle isn't damaged but you can still get any financial compensation you may be entitled to.
Can my pet cause bodily harm to myself?
It is possible for pets to cause bodily harm and this can be due to an accident, illness or disease. If a pet damages someone else's property then the insurances we have discussed could help if you're liable for the damage. If damage is caused through an accident then you are covered up to a certain limit via public liability insurance. This is simply because the public liability has been assessed by an insurer not based on your own driving record so this should help in taking away some of the stress of a potential claim if you need it.
What about someone who has committed an offence against my pet?
This is a situation that can happen with our pets as they are quite intelligent. And what many people don't realise is the extent to which our pets are trained to be obedient. It is possible for this training to carry on after the pet becomes an adult. If your pet has bitten or scratched another person then it is likely that your pet insurance will cover the damage done and help you avoid paying out thousands of pounds in compensation claims for incidents involving another person.
To summarise….
If you are thinking about getting pet insurance and public liability please think about your circumstances and future plans. If you don't have a driving licence and live in an urban area then public liability insurance pays out up to £2,000 should you fall victim to a hit and run driver. If not then does pet insurance pay out for damage caused by other people's pets? The easy answer is yes but please consult your policy wording for details.
If you need any more information about the policy then there will be plenty of time to consider it during the application process because the application is online.
This is simply because the application process takes place in a matter of minutes online so you have time to consider what cover you need and want. You're here because you're interested in pet insurance and public liability so the likelihood is that your pet is important to you. This means that a short period of time deciding on pet insurance with public liability cover should be adequate. These policies can be purchased for as little as £1 a day depending on the cover you require. It pays to examine all of your options before making any decisions based on whether an insurance policy is right for your situation or not.
There are more questions? What about having the policy for a month? This is the best solution when you're not quite sure what you need. Also, if you see other policies that may be slightly cheaper than another but have slightly fewer cover options then choose one of those too. By doing this then there's a better chance of getting the cover you want, at a good price and in time for your dog to be ready for next years walkies or that trip away. This will also allow you to make sure that your pet is properly insured so that should an accident occur your pet will still be covered and receive the same amount of compensation as other insurances would provide.
If you've decided to go ahead with the policy after a month then you can cancel it. Cancelling pet insurance takes place during the cooling off period which is usually around 14 days. The exception to this rule is pet health insurance because your pet can't wait for a month to get better on its own. This is because they're dogs and cats so there's no point waiting a month to fix some of their more serious issues. If you have an accident or illness during those first 14 days then any veterinary bills or medication will be covered by your insurance from day one, not day 15.
Conclusion
With so many pet insurance companies out there and so many different plans it's easy to see why people are confused. However, all pet policies are based on the same principles: they all cover your pets against accidents, illnesses or any other claim that is related to your pet. As such, every company offers its own policy wording which will usually include different levels of cover dependent on the size of your dog or cat, whether you live in a rural area or urban area and a variety of other factors.
You cannot handle this alone and you should always get a second opinion from an independent insurance agent so that they can guide you through the application process with confidence.