Does liability insurance always cover children? You should know that

In addition to health insurance, private liability insurance is the most important family insurance. After all, everyone is liable for unlimited damage caused by law. There are special tariffs for families, which cost a little more than liability insurance for singles or couples because of the increased risk of damage to children. But family insurance always covers children?

This question arises either when the children are very young or when they are already grown up and are almost out of the house. Here we answer whether liability insurance also covers children in these two phases of life.

Nobody can do anything to children under the age of 7

In principle, the law stipulates that the polluter must pay for any damage caused by him or her (BGB § 823). With children, however, it depends on whether they were able to assess the consequences of their actions. In Germany, at Children under 7 years ago assumed that they cannot be held responsible for their actions. They are therefore considered offense incapable.

No injured party can assert a justified claim for damages against children incapable of tort. If the parents cannot stand the injured party, they can simply refer to their child’s inability to commit crimes. If they have not violated their duty to supervise (BGB § 832), they can not be prosecuted and are fine.

But what if the injured person is someone you don’t want to upset? For example: neighbors or friends.

Then it is important to have a private liability insurance that explicitly includes damage to children who are unable to torture and does not reject the benefit with reference to the age of the child.

In the case of private liability protection for liability heroes, the question of whether liability insurance covers children can be answered with a clear “yes”. So that the damage to the little ones is also insured, we have integrated the necessary clause into our contract.

Child incapacity clause is important

"The insurer will not rely on the inability of a child or other insured person to act as a victim, insofar as the policyholder so wishes."

Now we come to the second question. Family liability now also applies to adult children?

Answering this question requires a close look at the respective contract of your own liability insurance. There are simply too many constellations with adult children to be able to answer this all-inclusive.

If children are also insured under liability insurance, it does not matter at first whether they are biological, step-by-step, adoptive or foster children.

The further explanations refer to the contract of liability heroes. Because when developing our private liability insurance for families, we value the extensive Protection of children placed.

Liability applies to children at school and during initial training

The following text comes directly from our contract (page 8). This is written quite understandably, so we allow ourselves to quote directly from it:

“However, statutory liability for children of legal age is only insured as long as they are still in school or immediately following vocational training. Immediately following vocational training is initial vocational training – apprenticeship and / or study, including a bachelor’s degree and a directly connected master’s degree – but not a traineeship, further training measures and the like. "

It is important for Master’s courses that they immediately follow the Bachelor’s course. If the children first spend time with other jobs or, for example, a trip around the world after completing their bachelor’s degree, then insurance coverage ceases and the children need their own liability insurance.

Children with completed training are insured for another year

If children have completed their education and are still living at home at the same time, family insurance coverage continues for another year. The contract text specifically states:

"There is also insurance cover for a maximum of one year for children of the policyholder or (spouse) partner of legal age who have completed their initial vocational training and live with the policyholder at home or are officially registered there."

Children’s liability insurance also applies during unemployment

Hopefully the children will find a first apprenticeship or study place right after school. If that doesn’t work, then at least you are covered by family liability insurance. The same applies to voluntary post-school services.

Our contract text states:

"During a waiting period /unemployment Insurance cover remains in place for up to one year between the end of school and the start of training or voluntary military service, federal voluntary service or the voluntary social / ecological year. "

Also au pair or high school year insured through family liability

Are the children planning to go abroad? For example, a year at an American high school or as an au pair? The family insurance for the children also applies there.

The above illustration summarizes the Insurance coverage for children together. It can be stated that liability heroes no longer only cover children’s liability insurance if they stand on their own feet after completing their training and should be able to afford their own liability insurance. For "nest stool" there is then another year of waiting time on top.