Motor vehicles liability insurance
The obligation to take out civil liability insurance is imposed on every vehicle owner by means of the act of 22 May 2003 on insurance activity, the Insurance Guarantee Fund, and the Polish Motor Insurers’ Bureau (Journal of Laws No 124, item 1152 as amended). The insurance covers civil liability for damages incurred as a result of using a vehicle. The civil liability insurance protects, most of all, potential victims that can claim damages in case of loss or injury directly from the perpetrator’s insurer.
This guarantees fast and adequate compensation for the loss incurred that could be difficult or impossible to cover out of the perpetrator’s own pocket, e.g. because of its scale.
The guarantee amounts currently applicable in Poland, that is the maximum limits of the insurer’s liability, are: 1.000.000 EURO per one event for loss of property and 5.000.000 EURO per one event for personal injury. In some cases, e.g. causing a road traffic accident, the guarantee amounts applied can prove inadequate.
In order to prevent the exhaustion of the guarantee sum, it is possible to buy additional second layer sums above the statutory limits.
The insurance holder is obliged to take out civil liability insurance no later than on the day of the registration of the vehicle. Lack of valid civil liability insurance or breaks in the insurance period are subject to a statutory penalty whose amount is dependent on the type of the vehicle and the length of the period for which the vehicle was not covered with valid civil liability insurance.
Roadside assistance insurance
The purpose of this type of insurance is to provide the vehicle user with assistance in a situation when further use of the vehicle is not possible for various reasons. The insurers usually differentiate the cover provided under this insurance product. Under the basic cover, which is usually provided free of charge and combined with other types of motor vehicle insurance taken out at a given insurance company, the vehicle owner can use information services and technical services; this, however, applies usually only to traffic collisions. Most often, the insurance companies also introduce the condition of a certain distance limit from the insurance holder’s place of residence or office.
Extended roadside assistance programs which are provided at an additional charge, include additional coverage for: events that occur on the territory of the whole Europe, organization of medical help, travel help, as well as technical assistance provided also when the vehicle is broken down, stolen, immobilized or when the owner is ill.
The free towing distance limit (in kilometers or in the form of a quota), the replacement car rental allowance (provided in days), as well as the limit on the vehicle repair service on site set by the insurance company are of primary importance for the vehicle user. During long-distance trips, travel assistance that includes accommodation in situations when the repair of the vehicle takes a longer period of time, help with alternative transport to continue the trip or get back home can be of additional service. Roadside assistance insurance programs constitute an additional facility for the insurance holder. Their core purpose is to minimize the costs covered by the Client and to provide assistance specified in general insurance conditions in situations when further use of the vehicle is not possible.
Comprehensive motor insurance (AC)
Comprehensive motor insurance is the most frequently purchased voluntary motor vehicle insurance. This type of insurance protects the vehicle owner against material loss if the vehicle is stolen, damaged, if the vehicle equipment is stolen, and if damages cannot be covered by another party’s insurance (the so- called damages covered by the perpetrator’s civil liability insurance). This type of insurance is characterized by a certain level of flexibility. The insurer can shape the comprehensive motor insurance product that they offer and that is why in the case of this type of insurance it is very important to know the insurance cover and the exclusions from it specified in general insurance conditions.
The insurance cover provided under comprehensive motor insurance can be offered as named peril insurance or as all risk insurance.
The difference between the two insurance constructs is that the insurance cover under named peril insurance includes all the events enumerated in general insurance conditions whereas the insurance cover under all risk insurance includes all the events with the exception of the events listed as liability exclusions. In practice, all risk insurance offers broader insurance cover that includes also events which occur less frequently but which can, however, lead to total vehicle destruction.
An issue of particular importance in the insurance of vehicle fleets to which we draw the attention of our Clients is the consumption of the insurance cover, part depreciation, franchise amounts, and potential policy excess. Additionally, we take into consideration the claim processing periods and pay attention to the anti-theft systems required by the insurer. Additionally, depending on the product offered by a particular insurer, comprehensive motor insurance cover can also include a certain free towing limit or a replacement vehicle.
Personal accident insurance (NNW)
Personal accident insurance is a type of voluntary insurance. It provides the vehicle driver and the passengers with insurance cover against personal injury resulting from a traffic accident. An accident should be understood as a sudden event resulting from external causes connected with road traffic that results in permanent injury, disorder of health or death of the insurance holder. The insurance cover also includes the damages that the insurance holder has incurred while entering and leaving the vehicle, during the repair of the vehicle on the road, directly during loading or unloading the vehicle.
