Personal liability in travel insurance

What is personal liability in travel insurance?

Personal liability travel insurance covers third-party insurance claims. In other words, it pays for the cost of damages, loss or injury to someone or their property that you or a member of your travelling party is personally responsible for causing. If you get into trouble while you're overseas, it can help out with the associated legal costs.

It is typically included in all travel insurance policies, even basic medical-only options.

What does travel insurance personal liability cover?

• The death and/or bodily injury of another person.
• Physical loss of or damage to another person's property, caused by an accident (intentional harm or damage is not covered).
• Legal expenses for settling, defending or acting on your behalf.

What personal liability insurance won’t cover you for

While most insurance policies offer similar cover, there are differences in what each insurer will and won’t cover. When it comes to personal liability, most insurance companies won’t cover claims in the following situations:

• Losses to you or your travelling party. Injuries or property damage caused by you to you or your travelling party won’t be covered.
• Losses involving cars and other vehicles. Injuries or damage from the use, ownership or custody of a mechanical, aerial or water-propelled vehicle won’t be covered.
• Work and profession cases. Injury, loss or damage that relates to your profession or personal business won’t be covered.
• Unlawful acts. You won’t be covered if the injury, damage or loss was caused by an illegal act.
• Sexually transmitted diseases. Communicable diseases transmitted by you won’t be covered.
• Non-monetary claims. Claims in any form other than monetary compensation are not included.
• Intended conduct. You won’t be covered if third-party losses occur because you are wilfully neglectful and intend to cause harm or damage.

Personal travel liability insurance exclusions for any loss, damage or expenses are not limited to this list. It’s imperative that you read your insurance policy carefully before travelling and before making a claim with your insurance provider.

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Frequently asked questions

• How much personal liability coverage do I need for travel insurance?

  How much cover you will need depends entirely on the situation. However, most travel insurance policies can cover personal liability costs for up to $2 million.

• What does personal liability cover you for?

  Personal liability covers you for claims made against you for bodily injury, death or physical loss of, or damage to, another person's property. For example:

  • Injuring someone while playing sport. If you pick up a game of soccer with some teenagers in the back streets of Buenos Aires and get a bit too aggressive contesting the ball, you could be liable for another person’s broken leg.
  • Falls due to spilled liquids. If you get careless in your shared hostel accommodation and leave water on the bathroom floor, someone could slip and hurt themselves.
  • Accidentally burning down your accommodation and injuring patrons. If you’re helping out with the barbeque in the shared hostel area and mishandle the gas cooker, things could go wrong.
  • Breaking hotel facilities and equipment. If you accidentally short-circuit the power in your hotel room and damage the audio system, the hotel may seek compensation for the equipment on top of the bond you paid.

• Am I covered for personal liability in car crashes?

  No. Most travel insusnrance policies do not cover car accidents. You can usually find this mentioned in the policy’s list of general exclusions or personal liability-specific exclusions. However, you should be covered by the hire car company's insurance. Travel insurance can cover the hire car rental excess if you do get into an accident.

Written by

Gary Ross Hunter

Journalist

Gary Ross Hunter has over 6 years of expertise writing about insurance, including life, health, home, and car insurance. Having reviewed hundreds of product disclosure statements and published over 800 articles, he loves simplifying complex insurance topics for everyday readers. Gary has contributed to major outlets like Yahoo Finance, The Sydney Morning Herald, and news.com.au, and holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English Literature from the University of Glasgow, along with a Tier 2 General Advice certification, ensuring his work adheres to ASIC’s RG146 standards. See full bio

Gary Ross's expertise

Gary Ross has written 593 Finder guides across topics including:

• Health, home, life, car, pet and travel insurance
• Managing the cost of living

Co-written by

Jessica Prasida

Travel Insurance Expert

Jessica Prasida brings a decade of experience in the travel industry, including over four years as a travel agent and branch manager at STA Travel. She holds a Bachelor of Business and a Master of Marketing from the University of Technology, Sydney, as well as a Tier 1 General Insurance qualification that complies with ASIC guidelines. An avid traveller herself, Jessica combines her professional expertise with a passion for ensuring safe and enjoyable journeys for all travellers. Jessica was a Travel Insurance Publisher at Finder from 2019 to 2024. See full bio