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Staff cover soars sky-high
Page 18
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Employers' liability premiums are out of control, reports Jennifer Ball.
A BIRMINGHAM haulier says he faces a 400% hike in his employers' liability insurance (EL), despite making only one claim in five years.
The haulier explains that his firm had been insured with AXA Insurance for live years without making a claim: in that time the insurance firm had never visited his premises. Then, two weeks before his premium was due for renewal,one of his employees was involved in an accident at a customer's depot involving a chemical spillage.
The depot had to be closed and eight fire engines attended the incident, leading to a claim for 125,000.
He says: -The market has shrunk in terms of EL and few firms are willing to insure us.Those that will are demanding premiums of around £40,000. compared with only £9.600 last year. We have no choice but to struggle to pay it as without EL we can't legally trade.
-I am sure that there are many other transport companies in the same situation."
Steve Brown. AXA's casualty insurance manager, says the haulage industry has a high exposure to EL claims: "We have seen an increase in the number of claim' from drivers falling from trailen manual handling injuries fron lifting heavy goods, fork-lift trucl accidents, and even drivers whc have fallen asleep at the whee after driving too long to get tilt work done.
-We have therefore had to pu our premiums up to reduce ou: exposure to areas of the busines: that do not produce the result: shareholders require."