SPORTING MOTORISTS AND INSURANCE—continued.
1. Indemnity (including law costs) in respect of the competitor’s legal liability to the public.—The most attractive policies are those giving an indemnity of at least £io,000 for each accident, as distinct from those where liability is only accepted up to a lower figure (up to say 2,000).
2. Personal Accidents.—The clause covering this item should include the payment of a lump sum in the event of death, the loss of two limbs and two eyes, or the loss of one limb or eye, as well as a sum payable each week during temporary total disablement (limited to 52 weeks) and medical expenses.
A policy which is now becoming very popular with motor cyclists is one covering the insured for the whole season’s competitions, and embodies the points mentioned above. This form of policy has two very great advantages, the first being a considerable saving in premium, and the second the elimination of unnecessary trouble in arranging separate cover for each event, including those of a minor character, which, in the ordinary way, the entrant would not bother to cover.
The Liability of Clubs as Organisers.
Until quite recently very few club officials had any idea as to the risks they were running by not insuring themselves in respect of their liability to the public as organisers or promoters of sporting events.
Now the leading organisations have arranged policies which cover them completely. The form of policy taken out reads as follows :—” To cover the Club in respect of claims which may be made against it as Organisers of Hill Climbs, Reliability Trials and Speed Events, but excluding liability to competitors.”
In my opinion such protection is absolutely essential, as it is quite conceivable that an injured member of the public would look to the promoters in the event of failure in a claim against a rider. Such a policy would cover accidental damage to a grand stand resulting in injury to spectators, which certainly would be the subject of claims against the organisers.
The cost of this particular type of insurance is usually based on the number of events with which the club is concerned, and also with the approximate number of competitors in each event.
