4WD Driver
Loses House on Outback Trip |
Richard Oliver |
An Everyday
Nightmare
Barry owns a 4WD with a really
sturdy roof rack. After a long haul he arrives with his mates Mike &
Steve at the legendary camp site, miles from anywhere just in time to watch
a magnificent sunset.
Then - before it gets too dark
- Mike volunteers to climb up on top of the roof rack and hand down the bulky
gear. But suddenly disaster strikes! Somehow Mike slips and falls off the
roof rack, lands on his back and can't move.
Six months later, Mike has
had to have an operation on his back, still can't go back to work and his
financial position is so bad that he might lose his house.
Naturally, Barry notified his
Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurer as soon as he realised the seriousness
of Mike's injury. But the CTP investigators have asked plenty of questions
and to Barry's horror it now appears that the CTP insurer will deny the claim
because they say that CTP insurance only applies to accidents
relating to driving or a vehicle running out of control.
So Barry could lose his home
instead of Mike losing his!!
The Solution:
Proper 4WD Insurance
The answer to Barry's problem
depends on the quality of the motor vehicle insurance he took out
on the 4WD, not CTP. And this something many 4WD owners aren't aware of.
The best policies not only
cover damage to the insured vehicle and the damage it causes to the property
of others, but also provide additional cover for many personal
injury liabilities and legal defence which can run into millions of dollars
(areas where CTP insurance doesn't apply).
Similarly, having the right
type of trailer or caravan insurance is equally important.
Trailers and Caravans
Too!
Again, many 4WD owners aren't
aware that even though trailers and vans have to be registered, they no longer
have their own CTP insurance. Instead, they're covered by the CTP of the
vehicle towing them.
But what happens when they
aren't attached to a vehicle, or if the vehicle is registered in another
state? Unless you insure AND choose the right policy you could be left to
pay the injury damages that can result from the simplest accidents (eg. children
playing on a trailer parked in the yard; a fire in a caravan etc).
Finding a quality policy at
a reasonable price requires both an understanding of insurance policies and
a knowledge of the insurance market. So unless you can afford the possibility
of not getting it right the first time, I recommend that you see a Registered
Insurance Broker. |