Liability Insurance

[Wendelspanswick]

I need to sort some liability insurance out as some friends are going to be holding a May Day party in our woods as well as the fact that we have a right of way over part of our land.
Who do you use and what do you pay?

[Meadowcopse]

NFU Mutual combined house, structure and 'land away' scheme (includes public liability), various extra bits can be considered - however, straying livestock onto the neighbouring A-road adds little to a premium compared to digging a pond.
My policy is for agricultural land with mature hedgerow trees, 100+ orchard trees and a couple of small areas of coppice trees.
The majority of folk on here would need some woodland specifics and for your May Day celebrations then some other areas of public risk. (I'm guessing practical things like a Baby Burco tea-urn toppling over or camping scenarios, rather than a may-pole toppling over or people being singed by a burning wicker-man effigy)?

[Dexter's Shed]

I have to admit, we don't hold any, being old school and believing that friends wouldn't try suing us, and that trespassers are just that, and therefore don't deserve it either, for any would be claims, we have a couple of pre dug trenches, and signs saying, what happens in the woods, stays in the woods

[oldclaypaws]

I'll be holding temporary pottery exhibitions in my wood, and some sort of cover is obligatory. Although you can just display a disclaimer ('no responsibility accepted, own risk, etc), we live in a litigious age, when if someone smells significant compensation you could find yourself facing thousands in legal costs or damages. It might be they twist a foot in a rabbit hole or trip on an old piece of wire, but the cost of £150 for insurance gives piece of mind. I've found three potential providers easily, Beech Tree, Rural Arbor, and Ashburnham. The costs are similar and fairly affordable. Think of the potential costs if someone caught Lymes disease from a tick in your wood, nearly died, had private medical treatment and then argued it was because you'd failed to control the deer or inform them of the risk......They might lose the case, but you could rack up several thousand in legal fees defending yourself.

(Actually a large sign warning of 'Lymes Disease Infection Risk Area -Keep Out' is possibly a good trespasser deterrent ! )

[Wendelspanswick]

That's part of the problem with English law is that you can win your case but not be awarded your costs!

I have had a falling out with the NFU and refuse on principle to use them again so I will ring round the ones CP suggested.

[Rich]

Have you tried Gary at thebeechtree.com he has a tailored package for woodland owners

[Tarrel]

Until this year we had a package of two policies, one covering public liability and the other fire and storm insurance, from Willis is Dundee. This year the fire/storm component TRIPLED in price to the point where I decided I could live without it. They wouldn't let me have just the PL part. I was recommended to try Gary by Mike Pepler, and I have to say his service and response was excellent. We now have a package with him that covers public liability and employers' liability, allowing us to bring in volunteers and WOOFers if we wish. He was also able to add bits on to cover us for camping and bushcraft activities.

[thebeechtree]

Hi all,
It's quite a while since I last came on the forum so, for your information regarding liability insurance:

. one of my old proposal forms, headed Beech Tree Consultancy, is still available on this site; it's out of date now (the legal stuff on it needs to be updated) but we are soon to go online with a quoting system, linked to www.thebeechtree.com .
. I'm still around to take calls and answer emails of course; giving advice is part of the job and I'm happy to do that
. we've reduced our prices in accordance with our results (insurers have to look at their claims, of course, and make judgements on what they need to do to be profitable; we've had only two claims, both spurious, so a cut in pricing is justified)
. you can still use the old form if that's convenient, but we will need to know if there are any derelict structures on your land, which was not previously asked for
. cover is £5m public and £10m employer's liability (the latter given free and covers your helpers, be they friends, neighbours or maybe conservation volunteers)
. average prices are around £155 a year
. you can take up annual cover at any time of the year
. activities such as forest schools, nature watches, etc., are all easily catered for

Do feel free to ask for advice; it doesn't matter if you are insured elsewhere or even not at all.
Gary Alexander
www.thebeechtree.com

[smojo]

I have to admit, we don't hold any, being old school and believing that friends wouldn't try suing us, and that trespassers are just that, and therefore don't deserve it either,

Been wondering about insurance too. I thought like Dexter at first but then as I mine will be a plot in a bigger woodland with neighbiurs, I wondered what would happen if a tree from my wood fell onto a neighbours vehicle or worse, someone walking along the ride. Plus possible volunteer helpers, bee-keeper etc.

[Dexter's Shed]

I have to admit, we don't hold any, being old school and believing that friends wouldn't try suing us, and that trespassers are just that, and therefore don't deserve it either,

Been wondering about insurance too. I thought like Dexter at first but then as I mine will be a plot in a bigger woodland with neighbiurs, I wondered what would happen if a tree from my wood fell onto a neighbours vehicle or worse, someone walking along the ride. Plus possible volunteer helpers, bee-keeper etc.

my 7 acres is within 80 plus acres, all friendly to each other, none of us hold insurance, the only public are via one public footpath, that is slowly getting fenced to stop straying into private areas, we have a saying, what goes on in the woods, stays in the woods