Personal liability
Cover towards third parties: damage, repairs and loss of earnings.
Why this matters
If you cause damage to others, you are liable with your entire assets and future income – with no upper limit. An everyday example: you fail to see a pedestrian while cycling; she falls and is left permanently impaired. Medical costs, loss of earnings and pension claims can add up over years to sums no normal income can ever carry. Even the smaller case – the glass of red wine tipped over on the parquet of your rented flat – quickly becomes a four-figure bill without cover.
There is no legal obligation in Switzerland – unlike with a car, personal liability insurance is voluntary. In practice, though, most property managements require proof when you sign a lease, and since the bicycle vignette was abolished, your liability as a cyclist also runs through this policy. It is especially important for tenants, families with children and pet owners. In the family version, everyone in the same household is included, which makes it one of the cheapest covers with the biggest impact.
What you get out of it
One mishap won't ruin you: damage running into millions is covered.
Damage to rented property is covered too — important with every move.
For just a few francs a month, one of the most important insurance policies of all.
What we take care of for you
- Comparison of providers by sum insured, excess and premium
- Review of special cases: lost keys, damage to property in your care, pet ownership
- Combined with household contents insurance where it pays off
- In the event of a claim: reporting and settlement handled through us
The advice is free for you — we are remunerated by the insurance companies through brokerage commissions and will disclose these on request.
Tips from our consultations
What we tell our clients time and again – free of charge, even before the first meeting.
When two people move in together, a single policy for the whole household is enough. You can cancel the second one – the double cover adds no value at all but costs premium every year. Report the move to the remaining insurer so that the family version takes effect.
When you hand back your flat, the liability insurance pays for damage you caused – but not for normal wear and tear, which is the landlord’s responsibility anyway. A carefully completed handover report when you move in spares you many discussions later. Photograph existing defects on the very first day.
If damage results from gross carelessness, the company may reduce its payout. Many providers waive this right of reduction for a small surcharge. The inclusion costs little and takes care of precisely the cases most likely to happen in everyday life.
Personal injury quickly reaches millions, and that is exactly what this insurance is for. The premium difference between a low and a high cover sum is usually only a few francs a year. Don’t economise in the wrong place here.