Member Benefit – RAAus Members Liability Insurance*

The Ins and Outs of Your RAAus Members Liability Insurance

Included in your Recreational Aviation Australia (RAAus) membership is Members Liability Insurance. This insurance, provided through our longstanding partnership with Insurance House gives you certain coverage provided you are an active member of RAAus and piloting an RAAus registered aircraft.

With over a decade providing insurance solutions to the aviation industry, Insurance House is our trusted insurance partner. The team at Insurance House provide general advice, connecting you to products that can provide cover for aircraft owned by individuals, aircraft hangers, aircraft hull and personal accident cover.

Members of RAAus who hold a current pilot certificate and/or student pilot certificate and a current flying or junior flyer membership while operating a fully registered RAAus aircraft are covered by the RAAus Members Liability Insurance Policy.

This policy provides legal liability to third parties and passengers for accidental bodily injury, including death, and accidental damage to property arising out of an RAAus activity.

This means, if you have an accident that causes damage covered under the policy, the insurer will indemnify you for costs you are legally liable to pay. The insurer will pay compensatory damages up to the policy limits for accidental bodily injury and accidental loss of or damage to the property of others, caused by an accident occurring during the period of insurance. These are subject to policy terms and conditions.

The policy covers third party liability to $20,000,000; with the following sub-limits:

• Passenger legal liability $250,000
• Operation of registered and unregistered motor vehicles airside $100,000
• Tenants liability $1,000,000

Legal liability is triggered when allegations of negligence are made against you, which generally involves legal intervention and the potential to incur significant legal expenses. If you find yourself in a situation where you need legal representation to respond to an allegation of negligence (claim) from a passenger or third party, this policy covers your legal defence against these allegations.

Under Australian Law, liability must be proven against you (often in court) and the Third Party must quantify/demonstrate their loss. This policy will be activated when liability is proven, and loss is quantified/ demonstrated through legal process.

The RAAus Members Liability policy provides a level of cover based on current industry trends and claims history. However, top-up cover should be considered depending on your circumstances. That is because under Australian Law, there is no limit to the monetary amount an injured party can claim against you and the court will ultimately decide any settlement amount.

Payments to Third Parties under the Policy are not automatic. Again, the policy responds if legal action is taken against you, and you are found to be legally liable. Further, this is not a Personal Accident or Health Benefits cover, and consideration should be given to taking out such policies separately.

It is recommended that members review their needs and consider what coverage they need. A comprehensive insurance solution for an aviator undertaking activities in line with an RAAus membership could contain aircraft hull coverage to protect the aircraft itself, additional liability cover to extend the RAAus liability coverage beyond the existing amount, and Personal Accident Cover to provide death-only benefits for the pilot in the event of an accident in an RAAus aircraft.

Partnering with an insurance broker provides you with insights into insurance products and their workings, as well as invaluable support when you need to make a claim. Insurance House delivers an exceptional claims experience, with claims managed by both your broker and their dedicated in-house claims team.

Leveraging their deep understanding of your policy and the insurance market, your broker and the claims team work directly with the insurer to secure the best possible outcome for your claim, alleviating stress and worry from your shoulders.

Here are some of our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the RAAus Members Liability Insurance Policy:

This policy is a sensible solution to protect RAAus members and (indirectly) the general public. However, the Members Liability Insurance is not designed as a total insurance solution for RAAus members, and as such, members should consider their circumstances and seek additional insurances where required. Members should read the policy terms and conditions and policy schedule and retain a copy of it for their records.

*RAAus Members Liability Insurance is the Recreational Aviation Australia Members Liability Insurance Policy. Click here to refer to the policy terms and conditions.

Insurance House can also help with other general insurance products, for example, management liability, cyber, landlords, farm, travel, home and motor vehicle.

Contact Geoff Tonkin, Senior Broker at Insurance House for a quote: geoff.tonkin@insurancehouse.com.au, 0457 815 727.

Disclaimers

Insurance House Pty Ltd ABN: 33 006 500 072  AFSL: 240954

Cover is subject to the policy terms, conditions and exclusions. This information is general in nature.

The information contained in this article is general advice only and does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. You should therefore consider the appropriateness of the information in light of your objectives, financial situation or needs before deciding whether to purchase the product/s.

You should obtain a copy of and consider the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) applicable to the general insurance product before making any decision.

This article is intended to be read as a broad overview of the RAAus Members Liability Insurance Policy and must not be relied upon in isolation. Refer to the terms and conditions of the policy for further information.

Commission may be paid to RAAus in recognition of our strategic marketing partnership.