TRAVEL
What Does Personal Liability Cover Mean In Travel Insurance?

While travelling can be a thrilling experience, it can also result in unanticipated events, which could result in injury, property damage, illness and more. Therefore, you should buy travel insurance online to safeguard your finances during an international trip.
There are several benefits of investing in a travel plan, such as baggage insurance, flight delay insurance, coverage for medical emergencies and personal liability. In the following article, we will discuss personal liability coverage and its significance in travel insurance.
What Does Personal Liability Mean in Travel Insurance?
To define personal liability coverage, it can be said that this coverage is a travel policy feature that offers protection from accidental property damage, injury or death of a third party during your international trip.
Personal liability coverage is generally included in most travel insurance online. Through this coverage, you can pay for the costs that the third party incurs due to an accident caused by you – intentional or not – thereby safeguarding your finances.
When you have a travel insurance policy with personal liability coverage, you can protect yourself in many situations that may result in a personal liability claim. For example, you could injure someone accidentally while participating in adventure sports like skiing or surfing.
Again, you could damage the property of another individual by breaking their suitcase or spilling liquid on their valuable item (like a laptop). If any legal liability arises due to such incidents, your personal liability cover will protect you.
Travel Insurance with Personal Liability Cover – Common Features
It is worth giving some thought to personal liability coverage in travel insurance. Had you been in your home country, such situations could have been resolved without any negative reaction.
However, as a foreigner, you have to remember that the rules differ from one country to another, and there is a good chance of authorities cancelling your visa or confiscating your passport.
However, the good thing about personal liability cover is that it is not restricted to injuries and minor accidents. The following are the coverage features of personal liability:
- Damage or harm to the vehicle of a third party when driving.
- Third-party property damage while travelling overseas.
- Expenses related to hiring attorneys and processing claim settlement, depending on your policy’s terms and conditions.
- If you are responsible, your insurance company will make payment for the medical bills and other expenses related to the injury that the third party has to suffer.
- Benefit for third-party accidental death, only if covered under your travel policy.
- Payment for the third party’s loss of income because of your negligence, provided it falls under the terms and conditions of your policy.
Personal Liability Cover – Things to Remember
Now that you know what personal liability coverage in travel insurance is, you should remember the following points about this coverage:
- If you cause damage to a third party on purpose, the insurance company will not be liable to compensate on your behalf. In such cases, you will be liable for the compensation from your pocket.
- If a third party files a claim against you, the insurer will settle the claim only if you are innocent and did not intentionally cause the action.
- In out-of-court settlements, the insurance company will make the claim settlement directly with the third party.
- No injuries or damages caused by your pet/s that you carry overseas will be covered under personal liability coverage.
- There are exclusions to this policy as well, and you should remember them so that you do not end up making a claim that gets rejected. For example, you have to stay away from intentional acts, unlawful activities, mischief while being drunk or under the influence of drugs and transmitting diseases on purpose are some of the things that are a must to remember.
- You can opt for legal aid in case you are not happy with your insurer’s settlement of the matter. However, there is no guarantee that you will be reimbursed for the expenses that you have to incur because of the decision you make to get legal help.
Conclusion
While you may not be aware, there is a risk that when you travel outside the country you may have to face personal liability, which may lead to serious financial setbacks. The laws in other countries are not the same as in India.
Making a minor mistake can result in significant damage to your budget and overall finances. It is therefore wise to look for a travel policy from a reputed insurer like TATA AIG, which includes personal liability cover as a part of the policy, or as an add-on rider.

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