contents insurance with public liability

jirsw

I now live in a flat and want to make sure my contents insurance convers me if, for example, my washing machine floods and causes damage to the flat below.  I think public liability is what I'm looking for.  How much cover can I look for?  Any advice on good insurers for flats?

DullGreyGuy

Home insurance includes public liability insurances as standard, Building's covers you as the owner of the property (eg if you were putting off repairing the roof until next payday and in the meantime some tiles come off and damage a neighbours car) whereas Contents cover you as the occupier of the property (eg you get distracted, allow the bath to overflow and flood the flat below).

As the name suggests, it covers you for your liabilities, in many cases of things that happen in flats you aren't liable so if your washing machine gets a leak and floods down stairs then that's your problem not theirs unless you continue to use it knowing its got a leak then thats your negligence and your insurance would cover it.

pramsay13

You don't need public liability. 
The person below you should have their own buildings and contents insurance and you should take reasonable steps to try and avoid any flooding. 

DullGreyGuy

pramsay13 said:

You don't need public liability. 
The person below you should have their own buildings and contents insurance and you should take reasonable steps to try and avoid any flooding. 

By that logic you dont need car insurance you just need to not crash into anyone but the 100,000+ car accidents each year shows that that advice doesn't always work.

pramsay13

Okay, crack on with trying to get public liability for a flat and let us know how you get on. 

SiliconChip

DullGreyGuy said:

pramsay13 said:

You don't need public liability. 
The person below you should have their own buildings and contents insurance and you should take reasonable steps to try and avoid any flooding. 

By that logic you dont need car insurance you just need to not crash into anyone but the 100,000+ car accidents each year shows that that advice doesn't always work.

Not really a valid comparison as 3rd party cover is legally required for cars. If it wasn't I imagine a reasonable proportion of people wouldn't bother to buy it, as demonstrated by the number of people who are prosecuted for driving without insurance.

DullGreyGuy

pramsay13 said:

Okay, crack on with trying to get public liability for a flat and let us know how you get on. 

I have it thanks, as stated, it comes as standard as part of home insurance

SiliconChip said:

DullGreyGuy said:

pramsay13 said:

You don't need public liability. 
The person below you should have their own buildings and contents insurance and you should take reasonable steps to try and avoid any flooding. 

By that logic you dont need car insurance you just need to not crash into anyone but the 100,000+ car accidents each year shows that that advice doesn't always work.

Not really a valid comparison as 3rd party cover is legally required for cars. If it wasn't I imagine a reasonable proportion of people wouldn't bother to buy it, as demonstrated by the number of people who are prosecuted for driving without insurance.

But it's a legal requirement because "just dont have accidents" isnt realistic. Similar reason why Home insurance has a third party liability section as standard and for many people its also a no option purchase thanks to the condition of mortgage providers

Smithcom

pramsay13 said:

You don't need public liability. 
The person below you should have their own buildings and contents insurance and you should take reasonable steps to try and avoid any flooding. 

 Really?   How confident are you that a 3rd party (lawyer) will not try and take legal action to recover their costs in the event of damage/injury being caused.  'Reasonable steps' is clearly very subjective and, with the best will in the world, 3rd party liability could still potentially attach, for any number of reasons.

In the nicest way, your advice is not good, and almost dangerous.  Someone may choose not to have Public Liability insurance, but that's not to say that they should not have it.

By your logic, no builder, electrician, plumber etc etc would carry Public Liability cover, since most would feel that they take reasonable precautions.   

SC

pramsay13

I'm not sure why we're having weird comparisons. I'm a sole trader and I have public liability insurance and I also have third party liability as part of my own car insurance. 
The question asked was could the OP get public liability as part of his contents insurance in case the washing machine flooded the flat below so my answer was and still is that it isn't required but if the OP wants to try and buy it and feed back to us I'm willing to learn. 

Smithcom

pramsay13 said:

I'm not sure why we're having weird comparisons. I'm a sole trader and I have public liability insurance and I also have third party liability as part of my own car insurance. 
The question asked was could the OP get public liability as part of his contents insurance in case the washing machine flooded the flat below so my answer was and still is that it isn't required but if the OP wants to try and buy it and feed back to us I'm willing to learn. 

Why on earth do you buy Public Liability insurance? Surely as a competent and responsible sole trader, you take reasonable precautions to avoid causing damage/injury to 3rd parties?

Of course, my question above is absurd.   In the same way that your 'advice' to the OP is absurd.

The reason for the 'weird' comparison is because legal liability to 3rd parties (mainly) arises through negligence.   If a householder does not need public liability insurance because they should 'take reasonable precautions' , why is it any different for a tradesperson? 

SC

DullGreyGuy

pramsay13 said:

I'm not sure why we're having weird comparisons. I'm a sole trader and I have public liability insurance and I also have third party liability as part of my own car insurance. 
The question asked was could the OP get public liability as part of his contents insurance in case the washing machine flooded the flat below so my answer was and still is that it isn't required but if the OP wants to try and buy it and feed back to us I'm willing to learn. 

Then why do you think every single home insurance policy includes third party liability (aka public liability)? 

You seem extremely reluctant to learn as you have ignored the fact its a standard feature of home insurance and have weird idea that somehow a person in a home can avoid any accidents and yet sole traders, car drivers etc are unable to effect the same level of self control.