2010 May | Travel Insurance News

Archive for May, 2010

Business travel insurance May 31st, 2010

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Traveling is a part of our day-to-day life. We all travel because of one reason or other and can be national or international. Traveling always involves risk. So, whether you travel for pleasure or business, it always safe to travel with proper travel insurance. If your are properly insured, there is no need to worry about the risks involved in traveling like loss of luggage or baggage, flight delay, accident, medical emergency or evacuation.

Formerly, Travel Insurance was considered as a luxury. But now travelers are aware of factors that are not under their control like trip cancellation, medical emergency, evacuation, flight delay, loss of baggage etc.

There are many kinds of insurance policies. Travel Insurance comes in front of you in different shapes like Travel Health Insurance, Travel Medical Insurance, Vacation Insurance etc. Whether it a business or leisure trip, proper Travel Insurance is crucial because of many reasons. It protects your travel investment, belongings and health. You can hold travel insurance for personal and business purpose it is always true that a proper Travel Insurance makes your trip memorable.

Apart from personal insurance, Business Travel Insurance also covers computers and other business equipment of businessmen or travelers who travel for a business purpose. Business Travel Insurance makes perfect sense and is always a policy or contract under which the insurance company agrees to pay a sum of money to the insured for a damage or loss or injury as a result of some uncertain event during his trip. This can include flight delay, baggage loss, medical emergency, accident or disasters. Under a Business Travel Insurance contract, the insurer pays for business loss or damage faced by the insured during his trip.

Many things can go wrong during your business trip. This can be your baggage loss or a flight cancellation, or your destination become unreachable due to bad weather, or even you can fall ill and have to postpone the trip. You cannot control such events, but with the help of proper Business Travel Insurance, you can minimize their outcome. Whether it is a small enterprise or a large corporation, the success of a business is largely based on the dedication and hard work of the members of that organization. But it doesnt matter how industrious you are, because one disaster or catastrophe can destroy your business and wipe out all the profits. The only way to make sure that the effort and money that you invested doesnt fade away when a disaster smacks is by protecting your business with appropriate insurance.

About Author:

Adrian Rogers – For related articles and other resources, visit : http://www.buy-travel-insurance.com/

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Online Car Insurance Businesses: Buying Through The Internet May 31st, 2010

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Nowadays, insurance have become a necessity in life. Why?

Imagine your house being blown to pieces by a hurricane. Grasp in your mind that you were involved in an accident and requires hospitalization or expensive surgery. Think what will happen if your parked car was smashed into bits by a ten-wheeler truck.

Who would pay for these damages? If you have a relatively low income, you cannot afford to pay for all of these alone. These kinds of disasters, man-made or caused by nature, can cause financial ruin or bankruptcy to people.

So how will you deal with these unforeseen accidents without spending too much money?

The answer to that question would be insurance.

It is a fact that our lives and properties are always in danger in every single day of our lives. Whether it is caused by nature or by man, disaster is always lurking around the corner waiting to strike.
The point is that no mans life is perfect and we do not know what the future will bring us. How do we prepare for such disasters? We prepare our security by buying insurance.

Many people buy insurance to ensure them security with their lives and property. It is a fact that buying insurance is practical nowadays and could save you from financial and emotional frustration.

There are many kinds of insurances. There are insurance for homes, businesses, health, automobiles etc. Each offers the same basic principle; they all promise reimbursements in the case of loss. Insurance is a form of risk management, usually to help people in case of financial loss.

One of the most commonly purchased insurance is the automobile insurance or car insurance.

Who wouldnt buy car insurance? We all know how expensive these machines can be. Many people invests large amount of money to their cars. No person wants to lose his or her investment easily

You may probably say a crazy one. Car insurance companies usually cover some or all damage expenses in an event that your car is involved in an accident or stolen.

The car insurance businesses is now getting bigger and are now expanding their services to keep up with competitors. Some car insurance businesses are now offering their services through the internet.

It is now possible for people to shop for car insurance in the internet. What this means is that people can now shop for car insurance right in the comforts of their home. It also means wider means and opportunity to choose the best and applicable car insurance for your own unique situation.

The first thing you have to consider when buying car insurance online is the price. Prices are different by company, and it is wise that you first compare prices before you buy a policy.

Also remember that the price of car insurance policy vary depending on what kind of car you own, for example; insurance policies usually cost more if you own a sports car than your average family car.

Another way to get an idea of how much your car insurance policy will cost is the area you live. If you live in an area where accidents and auto theft are high, you will get a higher cost of insurance policy.

The price can also be affected by your driving record, if you have police record that states that you have been involved in several automobile accidents, car insurance companies usually gives you high priced policy and some will reject your application for car insurance.

Also, always remember that the more often you drive the more you are exposed to accidents. Therefore, insurance policies will cost more.

To apply for a car insurance policy online, you will need the following:

Drivers License to rate every resident that lives in the same household on the policy.

Insurance Declarations Page This document contains all the information about the policy that you need for the online quoting website. Every time you renew your policy, this document will be mailed to you.

Car Registration Card This provides the vehicle identification number. It will also include the safety features installed in your vehicle. Safety feature will give you discount.

If you plan to buy car insurance policy, always remember that you should buy an insurance policy suitable for your needs and not one that will cost you your life savings.

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Health Insurance Quotes May 31st, 2010

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Getting Health Insurance Quotes By Phone
Though calling around for insurance quotes can be a very time-consuming task, it is a good way to get your questions answered about the policy by a professional. In many cases, calling an insurance company for a quote will lead to an automated session and then being placed on hold. This is the kind of frustration that you will face, over and over, when trying to receive any kind of insurance quote by phone.

It does take up a lot of time and you do have to keep notes about each quote you receive, but there are some good reasons for obtaining health insurance quotes by phone:

You can talk to a professional in real time
Eventually, you will get through to an actual human being on the other end of the phone. This person can explain the policy to you in detail, answering any questions you may have as they come up.

You can learn about different premiums and options on the same policy
When a certain health insurance policy interests you, you may be able to talk to someone about adjusting the premium and/or deductible on the policy, tailoring it to better suit your needs.

You can purchase a policy right away
By using a check by phone or your credit card, you can purchase a policy based on the health insurance quotes you receive over the phone. This process is generally quick, including a brief question-and-answer session.

Getting Health Insurance Quotes Online
For those who prefer a quick and easy method of insurance shopping, the Internet is definitely your best option. Using the Internet, you can go to a specific companys site and learn more about their policies by receiving free online health insurance quotes, or compare and contrast the policies offered by several companies at once.

The Internet allows you to receive many more health insurance quotes, in a much shorter period of time than you would be receiving quotes over the phone. There are many benefits to shopping for health insurance quotes online:

You can get many health insurance quotes, quick
When time is a factor, the Internet is your best friend. You can look at several different health insurance quotes at the same time online, much more quickly than it takes to get through most phone automated systems.

You can compare lots of health insurance quotes at once
Side-by-side or page-by-page, with the Internet you can compare health insurance quotes from several different health insurance companies at once. This makes comparison shopping a breeze.

Ease of purchase
You can often purchase a health insurance policy online, using a secured method and your credit card. This allows you to get your health insurance policy quickly, so that coverage can start right away.

An Independent Agent
When doing your own research, finding different quotes, calling around or even using the Internet to shop just isnt your thing, youll want to use an independent insurance agent. These agents do not work for any specific company but for you. They use their time to shop around for you, finding you the best possible policy based upon the health insurance quotes they receive.

Often, independent agents can get much better rates than the average customer. This is because insurance company offer agents deals and discounts simply for brining in new business. An independent agent will work for you to find the best health insurance quotes, so that you pay less while still receiving the best coverage possible for you and your family.

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A short guide to travel insurance May 30th, 2010

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Travel Insurance A Need to Know guide?

Travel insurance protects holiday expenses against adverse events such as cancellation and interruption and also reimburses medical expenses, the loss or damage of property and transit delays.

Many millions of travellers and holiday makers purchase some form of insurance every year, but few people know really what it is and how it can be defined. If you know what is included, and what is not you will be able to make the most of your protection, and get reimbursed fairly.

There are four main categories of travel insurance:

1.Health and Medical reasons

Emergency evacuation: This garuantees emergency transportation to either a local hospital in the event that the traveller is unable to get there by themselves or back to a hospital near the travellers home town. If family members are covered on the same policy they can travel back home also.

Medical reasons: This reimburses emergency medical and dental costs. Nearly all holiday insurance plans work by reimbursing the traveller after they have paid locally for treatment. Claims are usually paid within 7 10 working days. Pre-existing medical conditions are covered by most policies if the policy is purchased within (at the most) 21 days from the date the traveller made the first payment or deposit.

2.Delays and cancellation or curtailment

Cancellation: Re-imbursement comes into effect if travellers have booked and paid for a holiday, but are unable to embark because of personal illness or injury, death (of the individual or of a family member), adverse weather conditions, transport strikes, terrorism, bankruptcy, sudden unemployment, jury duty or by sustaining serious damage to their home causing it to be uninhabitable due to fire or flooding.

Delay: This reimburses travellers for hotel, food or clothing expenses in the event of a flight delay. Some plans also cover costs associated with catching up with a cruise should another delay cause the traveller to miss embarkation.
Interruption: Insurance companies pay money to policy holders abroad if they have to cut short their trip due to illness, death (of the traveller or a family member), terrorism, weather, airline strikes, bankruptcy, sudden unemployment, and other adverse conditions which mean that, due to events outside the control of the holiday-maker, a trip has to be curtailed.

3.Death:

Accidental death covers death or dismemberment at any time of your trip. Usually garuantees the lowest amount of coverage due to a higher risk
Air Flight accident this covers death or dismemberment during an air flight only. Usually garuantees the highest amount of coverage due to fairly low likelihood of this occurring.

Common carrier Covers death or dismemberment while travelling on public transport such as a plane, ferry, train bus or taxi.

4.Loss or damage of property:

Baggage loss reimburses travellers for lost, stolen or damaged personal items. This coverage is usually restricted to the duration of the trip and not confined to baggage damaged or lost by the airline. There are two policy limits, total claim and per item maximum. Some policies also place limits on the type of items that can be claimed for such as precious jewellery, laptops and sporting goods

Hire Car damage This reimburses travellers for damage or loss to a rental vehicle. It is designed to allow the traveller to decline collision damage waiver (CDW) coverage offered by the car rental companies. Liability coverage should still be purchased through the car rental company. Rental Car Damage coverage is also often included with the credit card used to pay for the car rental which is often matches the coverage provided in the policy.

Assistance services garuantees a 24-hour collect telephone advice and assistance service to travellers. This service can be used anytime a traveller needs advice. Make sure you keep a copy of this number in several places in your luggage or on your person when you move around.

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Keyman Insurance Protect yourself against some of your biggest May 24th, 2010

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Keyman Insurance Protect yourself against some of your biggest businesses risks.

As a businessman you might have public liability insurance and you insure your buildings, stock and vehicles. You may even have professional indemnity insurance and legal cost insurance. Is that all? What about your other primary assets your key staff?

Key staff represent the heart of every businesses but no more so than the UK’s 3.9 million small, often family, businesses that have up to 4 employees. Prolonged absence through serious illness or even death can be terminal for some of these enterprises. The risks are the same for limited companies, a partnerships and sole traders.

In this context Keyman Insurance is a must. Keyman Insurance represents a group of insurance plans all designed to financially protect business from the affects of prolonged illness or even death of staff who are central to the prosperity of the business. The insurance can’t replace people but it can provide cash to buy time and cover the costs of temporary staff, recruitment, loss of profits or provide a cash injection.

The insurance falls into four categories insurance to help your business recover during the extended period when your key personnel are unable to work or to train or recruit a replacement, insurance to protect profits, insurance to protect shareholders or partnership interests, and insurance for anyone involved in guaranteeing businesses loans or banking facilities.

Keyman Insurance on those who are central to your business.
Who are your key people? They are the ones who steer, create and drive your business. The people without whom your business would lose sales and profits or without whom even the basic viability of your business would be shaken. Look at the Directors, Partners, owners and beyond. Consider the roles of senior managers in sales, technical development and operations the roles will change in every business but the candidates are sure to jump out at you.

Insuring these people will provide the extra cash needed to take on temporary staff or recruit and train a replacement.

Keyman Insurance to protect your Profits.
The effect of losing key staff goes well beyond simply the cost of their salaries and the cost of replacement. As they’re central to the businesses prosperity, their loss will knock on to the bottom line. You can insure for loss of profits too!

Keyman Insurance to protect Shareholders or Partners.
Here we are talking about insurance to protect interests in the event of long-term illness or death. Families may want to sell their stake in the business but the remaining members in the business may not want those stakes held by newcomers. Keyman insurance schemes can be implemented which provide the necessary finance to buy the shares from the original shareholders or their estate.

Keyman Insurance insuring those who provide personal guarantees.
When a business takes out a loan or raises bank finance the lender is quite likely to require a personal guarantee or a charge on their personal property. This especially applies to small and new businesses. So what happens if these guarantors become seriously ill or die? The lenders may well be in a position to call in the loan. What happens then? Again, Keyman Insurance is the answer. Insurance can be structured to pay-off the loan and thus free the business and the guarantor’s family, from major worry.

Most of the UK’s leading insurance companies offer Keyman Insurance as a development of their Life and Critical Illness Insurance interests. They have all the necessary paperwork available to implement the cover you need and ensure the taxman is kept at bay.

So, can your business afford to ignore Keyman Insurance? You’ll be either a brave or foolish man to say NO!

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Getting A Homeowners Insurance Quote In Arizona May 24th, 2010

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When looking for homeowners insurance in the state of Arizona there are a few things you should keep in mind:

How much to buy: Keeping in mind that the purpose of insurance is to transfer risk, you need to adequately protect your assets in the event of a catastrophic loss. You should insure your home for its proper value for maximum protection. Your house is a major investment, don’t scrimp on protecting it. Additionally, your mortgage company may have a set of insurance requirements you must adhere to.

Coverages: Know the difference between All Risk and Named Peril coverage. All risk is broader and will cover all risks subject to policy exclusions. On the other hand, Named Perils will cover only the perils named (i.e., fire, lightening, windstorm). All risk may cost a little more, but it’s worth it to protect your home.

Valuation: To protect our investment, replacement cost coverage pays the amount it will take to replace your home with the same kind and/or quality. Actual Cash value depreciates the purchase price of your home. ACV premiums may be cheaper, but replacement cost will return your home to it’s pre-loss value.

Rates: Rates are affect by factors such as:

Type of construction: frame houses usually cost more than brick houses to insure.

Age of house: Newer homes may qualify for discounts that older homes may not be privy to.

Fire Protection: How far is your house from a fire hydrant or a fire department? The availability of water in the event of a fire is also taken into consideration when determining rate.

Deductible: The higher the deductible you can withstand, the more of a premium discount you’ll enjoy

If you would like more information, or if you have a complaint you may contact the Arizona Department of Insurance

Consumers Affairs Division
2910 North 44th Street
Suite 210
Phoenix, Arizona 85018-7256

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What is Travel Insurance? May 22nd, 2010

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Many of us take out holiday insurance, but few know really what it is and how it can be defined. If you know what is included, you will be able to make the most of your protection.

In general terms, holiday insurance protects a travellers holiday costs against adverse events such as cancellation and interruption and also reimburses medical expenses, the loss or damage of property and transit delays. Travellers are compensated if they have to cancel or interrupt their travel, they will also be covered should they need emergency medical treatment, medical evacuation and other situations.

The main categories of holiday insurance:

Delays and cancellation including curtailment

Cancellation: Reimbursement comes into effect if travellers have booked and paid for a holiday, but are unable to embark because of personal illness or injury, death (of the individual or of a family member), adverse weather conditions, airline strikes, terrorism, bankruptcy, sudden unemployment, jury duty or by sustaining serious damage to their home causing it to be uninhabitable due to fire or flooding.

Interruption: Insurance companies pay money to policy holders abroad if they have to cut short their trip due to illness, death (of the traveller or a family member), weather, airline strikes, terrorism, bankruptcy, becoming unemployed, and other adverse conditions which mean that, due to events outside the control of the holiday-maker, a trip has to be curtailed.

Medical reasons

Medical and health reasons: Reimburses medical and emergency dental costs. Almost all holiday insurance plans work by reimbursing the traveller after they have paid locally for treatment. Claims are usually paid within 7 10 days. Pre-existing conditions are covered by most policies if the policy is purchased within (at the most) 21 days from the date the traveller made the first payment or deposit.

Medical evacuation: This provides emergency transportation to either a local hospital in the event that the traveller is unable to get there by themselves or back to a hospital near the travellers place of residence. If family members are covered on the same policy they can return home also.

Death of traveller

Air Flight accident this covers death or dismemberment during an air flight only. Usually provides the highest amount of coverage due to fairly low likelihood of this occurring.

Common carrier Covers death or dismemberment while travelling on public transport such as a plane, ferry, train bus or taxi.

Accidental death covers death or dismemberment at any time of your trip. Usually provides the lowest amount of coverage due to a higher risk

Loss or damage of personal effects

Rental Car damage Reimburses travellers for damage or loss to a rental vehicle. It is designed to allow the traveller to decline collision damage waiver (CDW) coverage offered by the car rental companies. Liability coverage should still be purchased through the car rental company. Rental Car Damage coverage is also often included with the credit card used to pay for the car rental which is often matches the coverage provided in the policy.

Assistance services provides a 24-hour collect telephonel advice and assistance service to travellers. This service can be used anytime a traveller needs advice. Make sure you dont leave home without it.

In conclusion

holiday insurance is the one product in the modern insurance-saturated world that really is essential. You will not regret taking it out, but not being insured for your travel mishaps is a source of huge regret for far too many holiday-makers every year.

Dont leave home without your toothbrush, a sketch pad, a bar of scented soap and a holiday insurance policy!

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Annual travel insurance May 21st, 2010

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Annual Travel Insurance covers you for every holiday you take for twelve consecutive months. Annual Travel Insurance is generally meant for people who take more than one holiday every year. If you are taking a three-week holiday in some destination during summer and another holiday later in the year, then Annual Travel Insurance could help you save money. Because, if you hold an Annual Travel Insurance, there is no need to spend money for purchasing insurance every time you travel.

Annual Travel Insurance is an insurance policy or contract under which the insurance company agrees to pay for loss or damage or injury encountered by you during your trip. This includes trip cancellation, evacuation, medical emergency, baggage loss etc. If you hold proper Annual Travel Insurance then your worries or anticipations regarding your safety during the trip will be no more.

Annual Travel Insurance policies cover you for one year with an unlimited number of trips. That means, you can have unlimited number of holidays or business trips as you wish and have a guarantee that for all the trips for the next twelve months you will always be covered. During this one year, you can travel as many trips you like, but no trips should exceed the maximum number of days you have selected in your policy. Annual Travel Insurance policy will cover you for a period of one year from the start date you choose. So, one has to be careful in mentioning the start date in the policy. Annual Travel Insurance gives you superior cover levels and reduced excess payments that you need to pay to make your travel insurance claim. Burglary, hijack, hospital expenses, flight delay, travel delay, cancellation, evacuation – everything is covered in a better way if you hold an Annual Travel Insurance. Annual Travel Insurance gives you complete peace of mind all throughout the year and also gives cover to your delayed baggage, loss of personal items or cash, or passport documents.

Obtaining an Annual Travel Insurance policy is very simple. First, select the destinations you wish to be covered for the next consecutive twelve months, and then select the date you want your Annual Travel Insurance to start. After that you have to clear what kind of party you need to cover, that is whether you go for single person, family, couple, group of people etc. and their age groups.

About Author:

Adrian Rogers – For related articles and other resources, visit : http://www.buy-travel-insurance.com/

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Keyman Insurance A Business Essential May 18th, 2010

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If you own your own business, you’ll have insurance in place for your buildings, stock and vehicles, and you will be likely to have public liability insurance. You may also be insured for professional indemnity and legal costs but have you considered insuring your most important assets your key staff?

In the UK there are 3.9 million small, often family, businesses with up to four employees if one of those key staff were to die or fall seriously ill, it could mean the end of the business, and this goes for limited companies, partnerships and sole traders.

If you are one of those people then you should seriously consider Keyman Insurance, and here’s why. Keyman Insurance financially protects businesses from the effects of serious illness or death of staff who are central to the success of the company. It does this by providing cash when you need it most, so you can cover loss of profits, inject more cash into the business, or take on temporary staff.

There are actually four different types of Keyman Insurance:

to help your business recover during the time that your key person is away from work, or to train/take on somebody new;

insurance against loss of profits;

to provide protection for shareholders or partnership interests; and

for people providing businesses loans or banking facilities.

1 Protecting your business if a key person is away from work

Your key people are the ones who are an essential driving force in your business – the people who if they were away from work for a long period, your business would suffer greatly. This could mean a reduction of sales and profits, or it could mean your business is shaken to the core. Look at the Directors, Partners, owners, think about your senior managers every business is different but the key people will soon become apparent to you.

Insuring these people will ensure that if they are ill or die, you will have the cash you need to take on someone new, or train a replacement.

2 Keyman Insurance to insure against loss of profits

Losing key staff can have huge ramifications, if they are central to the success of the business then their loss could leave you facing bankruptcy. It’s a good idea to insure against this possibility.

3 Keyman Insurance for Shareholders or Partners

In this case, the insurance will protect the company if shareholders or partners become seriously ill or die. Families may want to sell their share in the company which leaves the remaining members open to newcomers entering the business. Keyman insurance schemes can be used to provide capital to purchase the shares from the original shareholders or their estate.

4 Keyman Insurance insuring Guarantors

Many small and new businesses are required to provide a personal guarantee or a charge on their personal property when they take out a loan. This especially applies to small and new businesses. If one of these guarantors becomes critically ill or dies, then the lenders may decide to recall the loan. Keyman Insurance can protect you by paying off the loan and taking all the pressure off the guarantor/guarantor’s estate.

Most of the UK’s top insurance companies offer Keyman Insurance as a natural progression from their Life and Critical Illness Insurance provisions. They can advise you further on what type of policy would be best for you.

So, the question is, can your business really afford NOT to have Keyman Insurance?

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About Winter Sports Travel Insurance May 17th, 2010

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As the days grow shorter and summer becomes a memory, many of us will be turning our thoughts towards planning a winter vacation, especially one involving winter sports such as skiing. Travel insurance is an often overlooked part of holiday planning, but if you plan on taking part in sporting activites then it really is essential.

A normal travel insurance policy will probably not be up to the standard you need for winter sports, and if things go wrong you could be left facing a huge bill. So what features should you be looking for in a policy?

- Injury Cover

No matter how accomplished a skiier you are, hurtling down a mountain is always going to be more risky than simply lying on a beach working on a tan. And if you do have an accident, a mountainside isn’t the easiest place for medical services to reach. If you’re unlucky enough to need a mountain rescue or airlift to hospital, you’ll be facing a bill running into the thousands even before you get medical attention. This sort of expense is likely to be specifically excluded on a standard insurance policy, but will be an integral part of almost any winter sports cover.

- Equipment

Most winter sports require expensive equipment, and where there are valuables there’s always the chance of theft. Your insurance should provide enough cover to fully replace your equipment with brand new items if necessary, right there at the resort. Even if you plan to hire your equipment, the hire company will probably require insurance – and your own policy is likely to be cheaper than the standard one they’ll try to sell you.

- Liability

Even the best skiiers or snowboarders can be involved in an accident in which someone else gets injured. Whether or not an accident is your fault, you could end up being taken to court and this is usually a long and expensive process. A decent insurance policy will cover costs from any legal proceedings and / or compensation payments.

- Closure of Piste

If bad weather (or warm weather!) means that the pistes are closed and you can’t ski, your policy should pay you compensation to cover the costs of any pre-booked lessons or lift fees, and many will even include a payment simply to cover the inconvenience of not being able to ski.

- Off Piste

A final point to note is that a standard winter sports policy will probably only cover you for accidents that occur when skiing on designated pistes. If you plan to go off-piste, then make sure your insurance will cover this – you’ll probably have to pay a supplement.

As with most kinds of insurance, paying out for travel insurance can seem like a waste of money. However, if you find yourself caught up in an accident on the mountainside then the costs involved can be truly frightening and you’ll be glad you took the time to arrange adequate cover in advance!

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