Private Liability Insurance

Has your child broken a window while playing football at school? Has your dog escaped and bitten a passer-by? In that case, your family liability insurance – also called “Private Liability Insurance” – will intervene. Family liability insurance covers your civil liability for bodily injury and material damage caused to third parties. By law, everyone is liable for such damage with their entire assets. Although this insurance is not mandatory, it is extremely useful. Especially with children, accidents can happen quickly, and the financial consequences can be considerable.

Even without children or pets, family liability insurance remains a very important form of protection. Many people mistakenly believe that this insurance is only useful for families with young children or animals, while singles, couples, and tenants can also unintentionally cause damage to third parties in everyday life. Think, for example, of damage originating from your own home, apartment, or studio affecting neighbours or co-owners.

A defective washing machine or a forgotten tap may cause water damage to the apartment below. A flower pot falling from a terrace, smoke or fire damage spreading to neighbouring properties, or a leaking aquarium damaging the parquet floor of the downstairs neighbour can all result in substantial costs. Even a visitor tripping over a loose carpet in your home and getting injured may lead to a liability claim. In such situations, family liability insurance often provides essential financial protection.

What is covered by family liability insurance?

In principle, this insurance covers “any unintentional damage caused to third parties for which an insured person or their family is held extra-contractually liable in the context of their private life.”

In practice, family liability insurance covers damage caused by:

Family members living under the same roof
Pets (horses are usually excluded)
Children living away from home while studying
Domestic staff (cleaners, gardeners, etc.)

It is important that the damage occurs within the private sphere. Damage resulting from professional activities is therefore not covered.