BMMC Personal Accident Insurance

[MacGWC]

British Motorsport Marshals’ Club Personal Accident Insurance



The Marshals’ Club is pleased to announce substantial increases in BMMC Personal Accident cover.



In outline:

Death and very serious disablement benefit increases by 50% to £7,500
Proportionate benefits for less serious disablement
Temporary total disablement benefit doubles to £100 per week for up to 104 weeks
Approved medical expenses up to 15% of total claim, as before


While still not as generous as the benefits offered by the MSA policy (related solely to the premium we can afford to pay!), cover extends to events other than just those approved by the MSA, including overseas events and direct travel to and from any event, home or abroad.



In particular, the weekly benefit is paid without proof of loss, a very welcome benefit to the ever-increasing number of our members who are retired/semi-retired or otherwise not in gainful employment at the time of any incident.



Cover is provided for all paid up members of BMMC at the time of any incident and is included in the standard annual subscription. Further details if required from me on BMMCNatTreas@aol.com.



George Copeland

National Treasurer BMMC

[MacGWC]

Sorry, I should have added that BMMC insurance benefits are paid in addition to MSA benefits (at MSA approved events) and should not affect payment of any claims made on the MSA's or the organiser's insurance.

[thepits!]

Thanks George, another very good reason to return those Green-slips

[Burnsie]

Hopefully none of us will suffer any injuries while out on the bank, but it's reassuring to know that we have insurance cover should anything happen.

[Terrible-Tones]

Originally Posted by burnsie

Hopefully none of us will suffer any injuries while out on the bank, but it's reassuring to know that we have insurance cover should anything happen.

Hi Everyone

Some interesting stuff I have found out about insurance after some research.

First of all I am unsure of what level of cover the MSA give but I understand this is related to income (not much use if you are unemployed or retired - like me - at the time) - can anybody clarify please?

Of course the BMMC insurance is a welcome addition to this!

However, with absolutely no disrespect meant, in many cases the amount will hardly cover an average mortgage and other expenses - so these need to be taken into account when arranging personal cover and finance.

I checked both my life and life/critical injury policies recently. Both were taken out several years ago and are designed to give my wife a nest egg is something untoward happens - theye total about £250,000 so are an important part of our insurance suite. Of course both policies say -

"we do not cover any form of motorsport".

So I began to wonder what this meant exactly. First of all I tried to find a policy for £250,000 that did cover motorsport but most specialists were only interested in drivers and expressed surprise that a marshal would actually be deemed to be "taking part" in motorsport. All agreed that it would be a pedantic insurer indeed who would not pay out for a marshal - and seemed to think that this attitude probably would not hold up in court (but I wouldn't want to try it!).

I then spoke to three seperate specialist brokers who explained, quite seperately, that if you took your life insurance out BEFORE you started to marshal (as I did) and that you had no INTENTION of marshalling at the time, then actually the insurer would have to cover you in the event of accident or death on the track(accident is dependant on type of policy). The thinking is that it is unreasonable for an insurer to ask you to predict what you may do in the future and that they take a snapshot of your life at the moment the policy is taken out - then calculate the premiums accordingly. They will take into account what they think you may end up doing by looking at your profile - so it is their gamble (which of course is what insurance is about).

Therefore if you took out a policy BEFORE you started to Marshal then you SHOULD be covered by your own insurance as well as MSA/BMMC. If you were marshalling at the time then you should have declared it at the time and the premium would reflect this, or they might have chosen to make it an exception. (Probably the latter!)

Of course we all know that insurers will generally try and avoid claims at all costs (I am having real trouble with a claim for critical illness on a policy from Scottish Provident/Resolution which has been running for 2 years!) - so it is worth checking with your own insurers to find out what the situation would be - or, for independant advice, take advice from a professional ( I am not a professional of course). I understand from the three pro's that I have spoken too that if you tell your insurer what you now do, and ask if it is covered that the insurer CANNOT increase the premium - as they took the gamble initially on the risk as it is presented at the time of the inception of the policy and that forms the contract.

So don't be fooled by the "do not cover motorsport" clause - it actually depends on whether you were marshalling at the time you took out the policy or the insurer can PROVE you had intention to do so.

I think it is worth bearing this in mind and checking. Also it seems there are a number of specialists out there that will cover drivers - one agent told me that the same companies would almost certainly be happy to cover a marshal and probably see it as low risk. So if you are already a marshal and want life insurance - check with these.

I hope the above helps and proves food for thought - but as I say I am not a professional so always check first with someone who is!

Anyway - it is all hyperthetical 'cause hopefully nothing is going to happen to any of us anyway.

[Steve Tarrant]

Originally Posted by Terrible-Tones

Anyway - it is all hyperthetical 'cause hopefully nothing is going to happen to any of us anyway.

Sadly, it can and it does. Most people know what I've been through, and all the BMMC and MSA insurances helped me when the time came.

So this is a further reminder for those BMMC members that haven't bothered yet to get their green slips and forms in to their competition secretaries asap. If you don't and have an incident, you might not be covered by the BMMC insurance. Speak to your regional committees if you want more help and details.

[MacGWC]

In reply to points raised by Terrible-Tones:

The weekly benefit under the MSA policy does require proof of loss but in the past ways have been found to make sure no one suffers undue hardship. Claims from marshals are usually dealt with sympathetically by MSA insurers. Marshals' Club insurance pays out without proof of loss and in the past has provided some modicum of comfort for the growing number of our members who are retired or otherwise not in gainful employment at the time of any incident. The intention of BMMC PA insurance is to provide a top-up benefit at MSA events and some cover at other events where MSA cover may not exist.

My experience has been that most Insurers will cover marshalling without loading the premium BUT it is always better to declare it, to save refusal if a claim arises. In my own case, with high levels of life and Keyman insurance while I was running my business, I was allowed to marshal and race (but not at International level - chance would have been a fine thing!!) without penalty. Another of my Directors was a private pilot and he was allowed 40 hours a year without penalty; I know of another private pilot who went unloaded up to 100 flying hours per year.

In the course of the next day or so, a full summary of BMMC Personal Accident cover will appear on the Marshals' Club web site (www.marshals.co.uk). This contains details of MSA cover, comments on existing insurance policies and gives contact details for a top-up PA scheme available to marshals at £40 per block of £50,000 up to a total of £250,000.

I hope this helps.

[Terrible-Tones]

Originally Posted by MacGWC

In reply to points raised by Terrible-Tones:


In the course of the next day or so, a full summary of BMMC Personal Accident cover will appear on the Marshals' Club web site (www.marshals.co.uk). This contains details of MSA cover, comments on existing insurance policies and gives contact details for a top-up PA scheme available to marshals at £40 per block of £50,000 up to a total of £250,000.

I hope this helps.

Hi there

Thanks for the above and the rest of the comments -

Yes it helps a lot - I am especially interested int the "top up" and will look out for it - so thanks for that. I was interested in your life insurers attitude to your hobby - and indeed after a check with mine the same applies - they are happy to cover (however one stated that if I had declared at the time of insurance they would have not covered that particular activity).

I bought up the subject as at a recent training event new trainees were told that they needed BMMC or MSA cover (best have it anyway of course!) because it was "almost certain their current life policies would not cover motorsport" - I thought this was probably not quite correct, and decided to investigate.

I added this thread in the hope that it makes people check and think about this subject before the time of need arises and hopefully also so that people understand and check their cover - as there seems to me, from various conversations, that there are some "mythconceptions" arising from this troublesome subject.

[numbersix]

I'm a fully paid up member of the BMMC but have no recollection of any 'green slip'. What is this green slip?

[Jag50]

Green Slips were the 'old' volunteering forms

[DavidBritainUK]

If you volunteered through your local BMMC (BMRMC) region for motorsport events, you would have filled out a 'green slip' and sent it to the regional Competition Secretary. You could also use the slip to 'notify for insurance', where you volunteered direct to the organising clubs.

These days, many people choose to send an email (quicker and cheaper), although in South Midlands we often provide event lists for members to fill in and post back.

[Bryan Degerlund]

In the BMMC SE region, the majority of volunteering is done either direct to the organising clubs or through Julian's site. therefore we issue each member with an A4 sheet (on green paper) for "Insurance Only Requirements". This sheet allows up to fifty days to be recorded, for insurance only. As David says above, email is also being increasingly used. Either way, as long as you let your comp. sec. know prior to the date.

[Asp]

Originally Posted by numbersix

I'm a fully paid up member of the BMMC but have no recollection of any 'green slip'. What is this green slip?

For OP/Anglesey events, because we volunteer through Dave, the form doubles up for insurance too. Hence the presence of the 'insurance only' box, if you've volunteered direct with O/C.

So in the Northern Region, we only need to complete the "Green Slip" (or e-mail notification variant) when working 'away' from the usual two circuits.

[thepits!]

Originally Posted by Jag50

Green Slips were the 'old' volunteering forms

I must be getting old then

[Cornerworker]

As SW Region Comp Sec, I see on average about one third of the regions membership send me their marshalling dates. Do the other two thirds not do any marshalling?

As George mentions, the cover is a worthwhile benefit so make sure you get your dates in to your Comp Sec. Forms were in the last SW Newsletter but if you require another just PM me.

Gary

[JimW]

For Midland Region members just send Mary a copy of your club volunteering forms (not necessary for the Donington ES dates or if you have used the NW form for Oulton etc.)

Regards

Jim

[Micky.H]

If you complete the ES Availability Form (i.e. Cadwell & Donington) does this automatically cover you then?

[JimW]

Yes. (Because they are run as part of teh BMMC.)

Regards

Jim

[Norbert]

Originally Posted by Cornerworker

As SW Region Comp Sec, I see on average about one third of the regions membership send me their marshalling dates. Do the other two thirds not do any marshalling?

As George mentions, the cover is a worthwhile benefit so make sure you get your dates in to your Comp Sec. Forms were in the last SW Newsletter but if you require another just PM me.

Gary

I regularly send Gary updates, 2 or 3 times a month, using the SW Region electronic version of the Insurance Form. Thank god for e-mail otherwise I would be using the world's supply of green trees!

[Circuitmarshal]

Sent mine in for last Monday.
You never know what can happen.................. I am the proof of that after getting to track level quicker than I wanted to on Monday.