Motorcycling Australia Insurance Limited

A common term used with the Alliance is MAIL that is an abbreviation of Motorcycling Australia Insurance Limited. In this article we explain the function of MAIL within the organisation and how it supports all of our members.

Motorcycling Australia (MA) insurance, known as Motorcycling Australia Insurance Limited (MAIL), was introduced in 2003. MAIL was created out of necessity, at a time when the global insurance business was heading through a significant crisis and Public Liability insurance (PL) was almost impossible to obtain, or so expensive that it was commercially unviable for events to be run.

No viable PL insurance meant the elimination of club events, which in turn meant the future of motorcycle racing at any level, was in doubt. Thank you to a bold step by the Alliance , MAIL was born and created its own bespoke insurance product. MAIL was designed, structured and operated with the protection of the sport, its members and affiliated clubs in mind. After 17 years and with the backing of major insurers such as Lloyd’s of London, Allianz and AXA-XL, MAIL is well positioned to ride any future insurance storm that may lurk on the horizon.

PL insurance basically covers you the rider, the venue operator, promoter, or club, for the cost of legal action and claims for compensation if a third party suffers loss or damage. For example if a motorcycle bounces over the fence line and hits spectators; a single claim could well exceed the average PL cover of $20 million. Who pays the additional compensation the rider, the club, the promoter, the venue?

The usual minimum level of PL coverage required for an event in Australia is $20 million. This is what is expected from food vendors, stage builders and event suppliers for normal low-risk events. It means that with a $20 million policy your club is covered up to that amount for a single incident, however anything that exceeds $20 million then becomes the responsibility of the club or promoter.

As much as we love our sport, and we take all the necessary precautions to ensure the safest possible environment through our track licensing process, safety resource, rules and regulations, medical infrastructure there is no disputing the fact that motorsport carries a higher risk of a PL claim than a public fair or school fete. With this in mind and to ensure the survival of our affiliated clubs, MAIL’s PL coverage is set at $40 million.

There is also the Personal Accident insurance (PA) component. Where PL covers you when your actions injure someone else, PA provides you with compensation on a no-fault basis in the event of injury, disability or death caused during your participation in the sport. What that means for you:

• For death: A lump sum of $75,000 (18 and over) or $10,000 if aged under 18
• For quadriplegia or paraplegia: A lump sum of $150,000
• For permanent disability: A lump sum of $50,000 for permanent total disability, partial disability is assessed on a scale to a maximum of $50,000
• Non-Medicare medical expenses: Reimbursement for expenses such as chiropractic, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, pharmacy, dental & osteopathy up to a maximum of $5,000
• Emergency transport costs for Officials, Marshals & Volunteers reimburses 100% of ambulance costs incurred up to a maximum of $10,000
• Accommodation expenses for family members of injured riders: Reimburses up to $125 per night (up to a maximum of $10,000) for accommodation.
• Other benefits: Include Parents Inconvenience Allowance, Student Tutorial Weekly Benefit, Home Help / Child Minding Weekly Benefit, Loss of Income (Officials, Marshall & Volunteers only), and Funeral Benefit.

Since its inception MAIL has paid out no less than $13.9 million for PL claims and $14.3 million in PA claims to its members, with independent claims specialist Proclaim ensuring a speedy turnaround in the support and management of the MA member’s needs.