Advice from JL Morris
A sudden rush of public liability claims
Funny how similar circumstances can ‘cluster’. I cannot recall any self catering liability claims for months and months and then we have several having occurred over late summer.
The situations include:
Holidaymaker falls down stairs as handrail was not long enough
Holidaymaker slips off wall-mounted shower seat
Holidaymaker ‘ejected’ on to the floor by a sofa that swallows him up
Holidaymaker slips on spiral staircase
These are all serious for the injured persons and we hope they all make a speedy recovery. However, for the self catering proprietor any injury – whether holidaymaker, employee, or tradesperson – must be handled, from an insurance point of view, in a serious and prompt fashion.
The first port of call is to report the incident to your Insurance Broker and obtain advice. If it is deemed that you are negligent – you did something you should not have done or you did not do something that you should have done – your insurers will pay the claim up to the limit of indemnity you have selected which is usually £2 million or £5 million.
Some claims are baseless. Your liability insurances will include legal defence costs so if you have a claimant who clearly will be unsuccessful you do not have to put your hand in your pocket.
Come and see us at the ASSC Conference at the Glasgow Hilton on 29th October
David J Morris ACII
Chartered Insurance Broker
J L Morris (Insurance Brokers) Limited
info@jlmorris.co.uk