April Propwash 2018 web.pub

Typically, personal coverage will pay almost everything, but in those cases where a member has no health insurance or limited coverage, NAMBA insurance is there. The reason behind providing accident insurance was that some members without insurance felt they had to quit NAMBA as they could not afford an accident. Over the years, NAMBA has relied on these insurance policies to protect our members from lawsuits and expensive medical bills. Some insurance claims have been small and some quite large. We need each member to think safety first. Just because we have the coverage, does not mean we should take unnecessary chances. I have personally seen two serious injuries sustained by NAMBA members over the years. Both were extremely painful and while the boaters recovered fully, those experiences make us realize how dangerous it can be if we ignore safety concerns. The Travellers Liability coverage and the AIG Accident policy are in place for all current NAMBA members, including Single Event Members. The coverage does not apply for an accident you have running a model boat in your backyard swimming pool. But, when you are at a NAMBA event, you have the best insurance coverage provided by any model boating organization. Your membership card is proof that you are a NAMBA member and that the insurance coverage is there to protect you. Make sure to have your membership card with you at all NAMBA events, as the CD may require you to produce that card to prove you are a member. I hope you never have a serious accident. Safe NAMBA boating. Safety Corner Spring 2018 By Lohring Miller NAMBA Safety Chairman NAMBA’s insurance carrier recently paid out a very large settlement. This accident nearly ended the low cost insurance we have had for many years. This was the result of ignoring the most important safety rule: Model boats will not be operated when anyone is in the water …. If a person, pet, or manned full size boat enters the water all boats must stop immediately. This is the latest case where boats kept running when a person kept standing in the water despite warnings. Nearly all the recent serious injuries I know about happened when people in or near the pond shore got hit. Never let this happen: Thirty years ago, NAMBA members had liability insurance but very little information concerning the company or coverage. During the 1990’s NAMBA changed the way we purchased insurance coverage, working directly with the insurance company instead of going through a third person. We were able to get a quote from Travelers Insurance, one of the largest insurance companies in North America and got the proper coverage for both the USA and Canada. We started working with Travelers, adjusting the coverage over time until we had our current liability coverage. Here is an explanation of NAMBA insurance coverage and some examples. This explanation is not complete but a simple presentation to the membership concerning NAMBA insurance. The liabilty insurance is “primary” insurance. Your homeowner insurance is not required to pay a certain amount before the NAMBA insurance is involved. As a NAMBA member, you are covered by liability insurance in the case that your boat hurts someone or damages someone’s property. As an example, if you lose control of your boat and it runs up on shore and hurts someone, there is liability coverage for up to $1 million. The aggregate liability coverage for NAMBA is $2 million in a year. If you are at a model boating event sponsored by an organization other than NAMBA, NAMBA insurance is not in effect. If you are testing your boats alone and have an accident, the coverage is not in effect. This liability insurance also provides up to $100,000 coverage for damage to premises rented caused at a NAMBA boating event. As an example, you lose control of your boat, it runs up on the shore and pokes a hole in a building that is part of the area you rented to hold the NAMBA event. Please remember, use common sense while running your boats. Obey the NAMBA Safety rules. Do not run your boats if a spectator is in the water, hanging their legs over the edge of the water, or floating by on an inflatable. Do not run your boats if there is a dog playing in the water. Our boats today are fast enough to seriously harm someone. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask and remember that safety is always the first concern. In addition to liability insurance, NAMBA provides accident coverage as well. In the late 1990’s we were concerned with the high medical costs faced by model boaters if they were injured at a NAMBA event. So many members had no medical insurance because they were between jobs, or their job did not offer such insurance. To help our members in the case of an accident, NAMBA began to provide an accident policy as well as liability coverage. This policy is through AIG, another large insurance company. This coverage is “secondary”, which means if you already have health insurance coverage, the NAMBA insurance will pay the amount not covered by your personal insurance. The total amount of coverage through NAMBA’s accident policy is $500,000. As an example, if you are injured at a NAMBA event, such as cutting your hand on a spinning propeller, go get medical treatment. Whatever amount is not covered by your personal health policy will be covered by the NAMBA policy. But, your personal policy will be expected to pay first, then what is not covered will be sent to our insurance company. PROPWASH April 2018 Page 23 Liability and Accident Insurance Coverage By Alan Hobbs NAMBA President