Under the compulsory membership model being introduced in South Australia from 2014/2015 all club members are required to be Triathlon SA / Triathlon Australia members which ensures all members are covered with insurance when undertaking triathlon training and competing in sanctioned events.
The following information provides insurance related scenarios and FAQS.
For details of the Triathlon Australia National Insurance Program including relevant policies and documents, please click here.
Scenario 1
Tim is riding along the bike path and accidentally knocks a pedestrian over, injuring her. The pedestrian’s hospital treatment, subsequent rehabilitation and income replacement costs totalled almost $600,000. The matter goes to court and a judge decides that Tim was negligent and responsible for all the pedestrians’ costs and legal fees. Without Triathlon Australia Public Liability Insurance to indemnify a third-party, Tim would have to pay this entire amount. If Tim was a member he would have to pay a small excess and insurance would cover the rest.
Scenario 2
Nick is participating in a group training ride on a Saturday morning. A non-member friend of another rider joins the group instead of being turned away. Moments later this friend clips a wheel and brings the entire group down injuring several riders including Nick. Unfortunately this person does not have any liability insurance that covers him for negligence whilst riding a bicycle. This means the injured riders are left out of pocket for their significant medical costs and other expenses.
Source: Willis Australia
Please note: As each individual case is different, the insurance provider should be consulted in the event of a claim or query regarding this policy.
Frequently Asked Questions
I am a TA member, am I covered while I’m training for an event that I have not yet entered and is not yet sanctioned?
Yes, if you intend to enter the event and the event intends to be sanctioned, you are covered.
What if the event I am training for does not get sanctioned?
If the event does not get sanctioned by TA then as long as you are a current TA member you are covered whilst training for it but NOT during the event itself. During the event you are covered only by the event organiser’s insurance – if they have any.
I am taking part in a social ride as part of my training with both TA and non TA members, am I covered if an accident occurs?
The short answer is yes. You are covered for injuries sustained in an accident under the TA Personal Accident insurance policy. If you injure someone else or damage someone else’s property then you have protection under the TA Public Liability insurance policy. When training with a non TA member there is a possibility that they do not have Public Liability insurance that would protect them if they injured you or damaged your property and you wanted to take legal action against them. In other words – If you are training with a non TA member and they injure you or damage your property (i.e. bike) through their negligence then it may be a difficult process to recover your losses (if they don’t have some form of Public Liability insurance).
Am I covered when training on my own?
Yes, you are.
Does this mean that I cannot ride with a friend who is not a member of TA?
No. You can choose to ride with a friend who is not a member as long as you understand the PL Insurance implications listed above or can confirm your friend has the appropriate insurances that will cover them should an incident arise from their negligence.
My club decides not to affiliate with TA, however I am still a TA member, am I covered?
It is TA membership that triggers coverage. It is a club’s prerogative to affiliate or not. If a club chooses not to affiliate, then individuals can take out a TA non-club membership at a premium or choose to join another club that is affiliated to take advantage of the lower TA membership fees for members of affiliated clubs. The reason TA charges a non-club member premium is to encourage club membership and ensure clubs are growing.
I am a TA member but I also have Personal Liability insurance through my home and contents policy, if I am involved in an accident which policy do I claim on?
Some members may have personal liability insurance in some form of home and contents insurance. However some policies may have exclusions on sporting participation or geographical limits as all policies are different. Presuming there are no exclusions, it’s up to the individual on which policy they choose to make a claim on. It may be they choose to claim on the policy with the lower excess. Sometimes each policy will subrogate against the other so the cost of defence/damages is shared by both policies.
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