BQ insurance ... not very good?

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InTheWoods
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BQ insurance ... not very good?

Postby InTheWoods » Wed Jun 05, 2013 3:21 pm

In this thread viewtopic.php?f=12&t=64549" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... I looked into the fine print of BQ's cycle insurance that covers members.

The fine print excludes cover for injury where the rider was not obeying the road rules:
We will not pay for any Injury directly or indirectly caused or contributed to by, or in the consequence of ...
... engaging in illegal activities at the time of the Injury or not complying with the road laws
and/or legislation applicable to the State which they are cycling in;
I asked for clarification of this from CycleCover (as they do a specific cover for BQ members) and they confirmed that you must abide by all road rules and regulations. (Note I only found this clause in the BQ specific cover).

So in the context of this Channel 9 story about BQ membership, sadly it seems the rider might not have been covered anyway. From memory, the story said he lost control of the bike on a corner and went over a railing where he unfortunately sustained some very serious and permanent injuries :( Losing control of your vehicle and crashing is against the road rules, hence his injuries would not be covered, eg.

Rule 297:
297 Driver to have proper control of a vehicle etc.
(1) A driver must not drive a vehicle unless the driver has proper
control of the vehicle.
So in a multi-vehicle accident the only time you are covered by this insurance is if the other party at fault, and then you have their compulsory 3rd party insurance for your injuries anyway. For single vehicle accidents coverage is going to be very hit and miss as you would need to avoid breaking a road rule, such as 297 above and would also include the dangerous/careless driving provisions in the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995, not just the road rules regulation 2009.

My car insurance covers me when I'm in an at fault accident, that's the whole point (with exceptions around drug&alcohol use and driving unlicensed)...

Originally joined BQ for the insurance, now I'm probably going to switch my commuter over to the cover on my home&contents... after reading the fine print there!

Edit: For extra clarification, I'll re-iterate this is a specific clause added for BQ membership insurance, its not part of the standard CycleCover insurance.

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Comedian
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Re: BQ insurance ... not very good?

Postby Comedian » Wed Jun 05, 2013 4:00 pm

Good work dude. Would be interesting to hear from someone who has actually used it to hear if that's how it is implemented.

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Lukeyboy
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Re: BQ insurance ... not very good?

Postby Lukeyboy » Thu Jun 06, 2013 9:43 am

Cycling Australia insurance ftw :D

http://www.cycling.org.au/default.asp?P ... 0013/39143" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Summernight
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Re: BQ insurance ... not very good?

Postby Summernight » Thu Jun 06, 2013 10:19 am

InTheWoods wrote:Originally joined BQ for the insurance, now I'm probably going to switch my commuter over to the cover on my home&contents... after reading the fine print there!
Does your home and contents cover medical/rehab? My bike is covered under my contents insurance (even whilst riding) but I'm not covered for personal injury/rehab/income loss from an accident on my bike through the contents insurance if I have an accident without any other vehicles being involved (where TAC would kick in).

I've been thinking about BV membership for the personal injury insurance (yes, I've mentioned this before on here so sorry if I sound like a broken record as I still haven't done it). It doesn't have the same clause as the BQ one regarding no cover if breaking the road rules.

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InTheWoods
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Re: BQ insurance ... not very good?

Postby InTheWoods » Thu Jun 06, 2013 10:47 am

Summernight wrote:Does your home and contents cover medical/rehab? My bike is covered under my contents insurance (even whilst riding) but I'm not covered for personal injury/rehab/income loss from an accident on my bike through the contents insurance if I have an accident without any other vehicles being involved (where TAC would kick in).
Yeh I have to check on that. But I do have income protection with my super. I might need to just get the standard cyclecover insurance (or equivalent) as I've heard its ok, if the home&contents one doesn't cover me.

Ozkaban
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Re: BQ insurance ... not very good?

Postby Ozkaban » Thu Jun 06, 2013 11:26 am

Don't car insurance policies have the same clause? I thought it was to get out of paying for drunk drivers crashing things etc. I could well be wrong here (I frequently am!). *runs to check car policy*

Ozkaban
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Re: BQ insurance ... not very good?

Postby Ozkaban » Thu Jun 06, 2013 11:39 am

Nope, I'm wrong. My policy (Real Insurance Car Comprehensive) specifically excludes unsafe/unroadworthy vehicles, driver being under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or a deliberate, intentional, malicious or criminal act.

No mention of following the road laws that I can find.

jasonc
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Re: BQ insurance ... not very good?

Postby jasonc » Thu Jun 06, 2013 2:25 pm

Lukeyboy wrote:Cycling Australia insurance ftw :D

http://www.cycling.org.au/default.asp?P ... 0013/39143" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
so it's $2 less than BQ at $88

still pretty crappy
2) NON-MEDICARE MEDICAL EXPENSES
This covers insured persons for NON-MEDICARE medical expenses.
The policy is for reimbursement only. That is, the member must pay the
account and then claim reimbursement under this insurance cover.
NOTE Only NON-MEDICARE items are claimable (i.e. the
“Medicare gap” is not claimable due to government legislation).
The most common “Non-Medicare” expenses include:-
• Private Hospital Bed & Theatre Fees • Dental
• Ambulance • Chiropractic
• Physiotherapy • Osteopathy
Medical expenses that are covered by Medicare (i.e.
not covered by this sports injury policy) include:
• Doctor’s Fees • Surgeon’s Fees
• Anaesthetist’s Fees • X-rays
BENEFIT
Reimbursement up to 85% of Non-Medicare medical
costs, up to a maximum of $5,000 per injury.
EXCESS
$50 excess applies to each injury. $nil excess applies
if you are a member of a Private Health Fund.
CONDITIONS
(i) If a member belongs to a private health fund,
they must claim from that fund first.

(ii) Non-Medicare medical costs are only reimbursed by this
policy if incurred within 52 weeks from the date of injury.
those 2 bolded are pretty crappy. $5k would barely get you a look a surgeon

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ValleyForge
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Re: BQ insurance ... not very good?

Postby ValleyForge » Mon Jun 17, 2013 10:18 am

Ozkaban wrote:Nope, I'm wrong. My policy (Real Insurance Car Comprehensive) specifically excludes unsafe/unroadworthy vehicles, driver being under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or a deliberate, intentional, malicious or criminal act.

No mention of following the road laws that I can find.
If you think about it, no insurance company will cover you for anything illegal. Remember, they are not your friend.

Has anyone met someone who got a good result from an insurance company for personal injuries from biking?
Ha ha ha! Cookies on dowels.

jasonc
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Re: BQ insurance ... not very good?

Postby jasonc » Mon Jun 17, 2013 10:43 am

ValleyForge wrote:
Ozkaban wrote:Nope, I'm wrong. My policy (Real Insurance Car Comprehensive) specifically excludes unsafe/unroadworthy vehicles, driver being under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or a deliberate, intentional, malicious or criminal act.

No mention of following the road laws that I can find.
If you think about it, no insurance company will cover you for anything illegal. Remember, they are not your friend.

Has anyone met someone who got a good result from an insurance company for personal injuries from biking?
most crashes are caused by someone doing something illegal. they are covered by their car insurance. we just need the same thing on the bike

Crawf
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Re: BQ insurance ... not very good?

Postby Crawf » Mon Jun 17, 2013 12:34 pm

I enquired about insur with CycleCover, it was over a year ago though...

Hi Rahul, could you please confirm whether this policy would cover the following circumstances;
- Damage to 3rd party vehicle while cycle commuting whether at fault or not
- Injury/Medical expenses while cycle commuting whether at fault or not. Income protection if off work?
- Home fire damage
I did look through you PDS but it was not searchable on keywords.


Hi Shane,
- You are covered for 3rd party liability while commuting whether you are at fault or not. You are covered up to $20,000,000 in liability.
- The policy is a home and contents policy, it does not cover any personal medical/injury expenses nor income protection.
- The policy does cover fire damage.
I hope that answers your questions, if you have any further queries on the above don’t hesitate to ask.

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ValleyForge
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Re: BQ insurance ... not very good?

Postby ValleyForge » Mon Jun 17, 2013 1:25 pm

jasonc wrote:
ValleyForge wrote:
Ozkaban wrote:Nope, I'm wrong. My policy (Real Insurance Car Comprehensive) specifically excludes unsafe/unroadworthy vehicles, driver being under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or a deliberate, intentional, malicious or criminal act.

No mention of following the road laws that I can find.
If you think about it, no insurance company will cover you for anything illegal. Remember, they are not your friend.

Has anyone met someone who got a good result from an insurance company for personal injuries from biking?
most crashes are caused by someone doing something illegal. they are covered by their car insurance. we just need the same thing on the bike
Think you'll find that if you are charged, or found guilty, or fail to obey a lawful direction, the insurance company often has a "get-out" clause.
Ha ha ha! Cookies on dowels.

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winstonw
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Re: BQ insurance ... not very good?

Postby winstonw » Thu Jun 20, 2013 1:33 am

in the event of mechanical failure, how do you prove your bicycle was roadworthy and a safe vehicle? I hazard a guess if you don't have it regularly serviced at a recognized LBS (or not keep the receipts), but instead do your own maintenance, you may not be covered.

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