Rural Insurance

Posted by admin

February 28, 2009

Rural insurance polices need to cover a wide range of areas, so it is best to take professional advice when possible.

But to give a guide, most policies will seek to offer insurance cover for crop damage, farm liability, horses, livestock, motor vehicles, personal accident and property.

To take a quick look at each area in a little more detail, let’s start with crop damage.

Crop damage insurance basically comes down to hail crop damage and this can be tricky to prove on ocassions, so it is recommended that even samples of the hailstones should be rushed to a freezer and kept there. Also, all hailstone claims have to be made within three days of the loss. If not, then the claim will not be valid.

To make a claim on equine insurance, requires the support of a veterinary surgeon being in attendance at some time during the illness, or at the event of a death. It is crucial that a full report is prepared and lodged with the insurance company as quickly as possible.

Farm liability covers those accidents and injuries that might occur on the farm. Some degree of record keeping is required here, as all injuries to employees, no matter how small, should be noted within an accidents/incidents book.

Livestock insurance is quite complex, as any loss adjuster needs to be sure that the claim is valid and there are quite a few exceptions. And in this the owner will need the help of a veterinary surgeon and must ensure that they inform the necessary authorities, such as DEFRA, regarding any diseases which are notifiable, or comply with restriction rules, or movement licenses. As with all insurances, you will need the support of an expert, or professional, to support your claims.

Motor vehicles can cover the private vehicles by the rural property, or those vehicles used by the business, and are much like normal vehicle car insurances, but will obviously cover certain other situations and circumstances. What is crucial for many rural properties and businesses, is having good theft cover. Farms are especially the target of well-organised thieves and gangs operate almost to order, stealing high value tractors and other items of farm equipment for re-sale throughout mainland Europe. There have also been cases of stolen tractors being transported to Australia for customers. And with modern day tractors often costing in excess of £40,000, it is clear why there is such a black market for farm equipment. It is vital therefore that a good theft insurance is in-place.

In the event of a personal accident on the rural property, then it is essential that a doctor can support a diagnosis and prepare a brief report on the incident.

Rural Property insurance needs to be taken seriously and needs to cover both the home and any business connected to the rural property. This should cover theft, accidental damage and vandalism.

As with all insurance policies and cover, it is essential that comprehensive reports and facts must be kept so that claims can be expedited with the loss adjusters.

Share and Enjoy: