Why You Need Haftpflicht Insurance in Switzerland
Haftpflicht – Personal liability insurance
Insurance In Switzerland
Insurance in Switzerland is a hugely important topic. Not only is health insurance compulsory but it is also pretty complex to navigate. However, one insurance you might not have heard of if you’re new, is not actually compulsory, but it comes highly recommended. It’s called Haftpflicht or Personal liability insurance. Although not mandatory it is extremely useful to have and could save you a small fortune, especially if you or your family are accident prone!
Civil Liability
Haftpflicht Insurance covers you when you unintentionally or accidentally cause “loss or damage to another person”. It is your responsibility to compensate anyone to whom you have caused damage, however, Haftpflicht should usually cover you for this damage, if caused by your family, your pet or yourself.
You could incur liability, if, for example, you dropped your friend or colleague’s phone and accidentally broke it. Or if you let off a champagne cork at a friend’s house and accidentally damaged their chandelier (I have heard of exactly this situation!), or if your dog scratches and damages the antique door on your rented house whilst you are out. Another situation could be if your child breaks a neighbour’s window while playing football or if your dog attacks the postman and damages his clothes – or if you dropped something heavy from your balcony and it dents the car below.
These are just a few examples but I’m sure you can imagine many more.
The scary thing is that if you cause a huge amount of damage, you could be held liable to the extent not only of your total assets, but also your current and future income!
Therefore it is extremely important to purchase personal liability insurance for yourself and your family.
What Liability Insurance Covers
Liability insurance covers you and your family for:
- personal injury and damage to property
- damage prevention costs
- loss of income or assets due to personal injury or damage to property
- defending unjustified claims
Haftpflicht is relatively inexpensive and if you think you may need additional cover, there are various options you can add. For example if you drive other people’s cars regularly, you can add cover for damage you might accidentally cause to the car.
Many Landlords Require Haftpflicht When You Rent From Them
Many landlords in Switzerland require proof of liability insurance before they allow you to rent their property as this will cover you for accidental damage to the property. Even if they don’t require it, it is very advisable to make sure you have this cover.
Haftpflicht insurance DOES NOT cover:
- damage through wear and tear
- damage, injury or losses that you or a person living in your household sustains
- damage, injury or losses that you sustain from your professional activity
- damage, injury or losses that should have been foreseen
- losses related to the transmission of a contagious disease eg COVID
- intentional damage, injury or loss
Find Out More about Haftpflicht
*** Articles Which May Be Of Interest ***
****************************************
