There’s always a claim occurring for one of our customers, from slips and trips through to burglary and flooding,
It’s our claims handling team’s job to make the process as smooth as possible. We’ll deal directly with our customer’s insurer to negotiate and defend claims. Plus, we’ll help our clubs mitigate risks that might just help minimise the chance of future incidents.
What kind of claims affect sports and social clubs?
13% of claims made in 2019 were for public liability, including slips, trips and falls. You might be surprised to know that 84% were material damage claims, including theft, fire and flood damage.
Even though the number of public liability claims is generally lower, the claim is generally for a higher sum. In 2019 so far, the average material damage claim is worth £2814, compared to an average public liability claim of £5,768.
How many clubs make an insurance claim?
In the last four years (from 2015-2018), 2236 claims have been made (that’s nearly two per day!). And the number of claims made each year is rising – by 52 each year on average.
When should I look out for insurance claims?
There are no spikes in number of claims at any one time throughout the year. You might think you should be extra vigilant around winter when it comes to slips and trips, but our stats show this isn’t necessarily the case. Member of the public are just as likely to fall or have an accident in the spring! There is a slight claims spike in October for sports clubs. As the season ends for cricket and bowls clubs, it’s a prime opportunity for burglary and theft. Staff members are unlikely to be patrolling the club and there are less people around to catch criminals red-handed.
Realistically, you should be aiming to mitigate risk all year round. Our claims defensibility training will help you to identify risks to look out for, such as the security measures you should have in place and what documentation you need to keep.
For example, it takes an average of 76 days for a public liability claim to come in. Do you know how long you retain CCTV footage for? We guess it won’t be more than 60 days… knowing how to download and securely store footage of accidents and incidents at your club will help you to defend a claim should it arise. After all, just 33% of public liability claims were settled – meaning 67% were successfully defended. Having an experienced claims team in your corner can really help you to negotiate a case.
So what are our top tips based on these claims stats?
- Don’t feel ‘unlucky’. We deal with hundreds of claims each year, so you’re in safe hands. It might be your first ever claim, or your sixth of the year – we’ll still make the process as smooth as possible for you. Trust us, your claim will be nothing we haven’t seen before!
- Accidents happen. As you can see, the majority of claims were for damage to building and contents – not claims made against the club by a member of the public or employee.
- You can’t prevent everything. But you can give it a good go. By regularly assessing your risks and working out how you can minimise the chances of accidents and incidents, you could save your club needing to make a claim.
What’s in store for 2020?
While we expect to see plenty of old school slips and trips, we anticipate a rise in cyber claims too. You might think your club won’t be a target, but you’d be surprised. Clubs can often be a target due to being run by part-time volunteers, who won’t necessarily understand how to recognise and combat cyber-crime. Sensitive member and sponsor data could be compromised, and the cost of a cyber attack could run into the tens of thousands.
Make sure you’re covered for all the ‘what ifs’ next year. Contact the Club Insure team for a confidential review.