It has emerged that Liberty Mutual insurance company has withdrawn from the “Irish hunting insurance sector” in a move seen as posing a major threat to the future of foxhunts around Ireland.
The Irish Field has reported that a growing number of personal injury claims against hunts and the associated settlement costs and legal fees “has pushed the only liability insurer to withdraw from the Irish market”. It revealed that Liberty Mutual has informed brokers that it won’t be renewing existing policies.
Reacting to the development, John D Lyons of Goggin Insurances, Balbriggan (“who has hunted for over 40 years”) commented in the 23 July 2021 report that “the hunting community could put an end to the sport they love if this trend continues” and that “the biggest threat to hunting is not the Green Party or anti-hunt saboteurs but hunting people themselves”.
It’s not only the hunt clubs that hunt members are suing; they are also suing the landowners who foolishly allow them access to their land.
Reference was made to a case of a hunter who fell off a horse during a hunt, broke a bone in his foot and later initiated a €70,000 personal injury claim against the owner of the land on which the injury occurred. A stark warning to landowners who continue to welcome hunts on to their property.
A follow-up report in the Irish Field of 10 September 2021 described hunting as "a high-risk sport, which involves the potential of serious bodily injury including disability, paralysis and even death".
John D Lyons of Goggin Insurances was quoted as saying: “We spend a minimum of six weeks getting our hunters fit, but many of us are overweight, unfit and unable to cross country safely. It’s our responsibility to ensure we are properly mounted, physically fit before heading out for four or five hours jumping ditches, stone walls, wire and gates. A couple of whiskeys at the meet is not the ideal preparation for the dangers that lie ahead.”
While Liberty Mutual has withdrawn, other companies are shamefully continuing to offer cover to hunts. Among them is Wexford-based Patrona Underwriting Limited who say that they have developed equestrian liability cover to “protect commercial operations in the equestrian sector”, adding “we can tailor individual policies to meet the needs of a number of equine related businesses such as...hunt clubs”
A Hunt Liability Proposal form downloadable from the Patrona website, and which carries the Howden broker logo, asks for the name of the hunt, “what prey do you hunt”, a “brief description of your hunt country (ie. terrain and any major motorways etc)”. https://www.patrona.ie/Documents/Equestrian_Liability/V20210101_Hunt%20Proposal%20Form.pdf
Patrona is offering Public Liability Insurance to hunts which “provides cover for a claim against you in respect of bodily injury to third parties or damage to third party property” and Employers Liability Insurance which “provides cover against bodily injury to persons employed by you, happening during the course of their employment.”
The Hunt Liability Proposal form shamefully refers to hunting as a “sport” - “hunting as a sport is the hunting of prey in its wild and natural state with a pack of registered hounds” - and acknowledges that its cover is for an activity which causes animals to run for their lives.
In a list of hunt participant disclaimers, it states: “I fully understand that the very nature of hunting means I will face the unknown and that the hunt cannot foresee WHERE THE PREY MAY RUN”.
The list of disclaimers which “all hunt participants” must agree to, includes:
“I fully understand that hunting involves risks and danger of serious bodily injury and / or death”
“Hunting involves an inherent risk, there is a strong possibility you will fall, it is recommended you have your own adequate Personal Accident Insurance cover in place”
“Be careful in fields with livestock, go very slowly through them or around them to prevent disturbing them”
“Drinking alcohol or being under the influence of drugs while hunting is strictly forbidden”
ACTION ALERT
Keep hunters off your land. For more information, visit
http://www.banbloodsports.com/farmers.htm
Join us in urging Patrona to end its hunt liability insurance.
Patrona Underwriting Limited
The Bushels, Cornmarket, Wexford
Tel: 053 91 80300
Email: info@patrona.ie
A RED C opinion poll, commissioned by the Irish Council Against Blood Sports, shows that a 77% majority agree that the government should ban foxhunting. The poll found that just 12 per cent disagree with a ban on foxhunting. Tell politicians to respect the wishes of the majority and ban foxhunting.
Contact the leaders of Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, the Green Party, Sinn Fein and Labour Party to tell them that you want fox hunting and all bloodsports banned.
Micheál Martin
Leader, Fianna Fail
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie; info@fiannafail.ie
Phone: +353 (0)1–618 4350 or +353 (0)21-432 0088
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@MichealMartinTD
Leo Varadkar
Leader, Fine Gael
Telephone: +353 (0)1-704 3630 OR +353 (0)1-640 3133
Email: leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@LeoVaradkar
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeoVaradkar
Eamon Ryan
Leader, Green Party
Tel: 01 618 3894
Email: eamon.ryan@oireachtas.ie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EamonRyanGP/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EamonRyan
Mary Lou McDonald TD
Leader, Sinn Fein
Tel: (01) 727 7102
Email: marylou.mcdonald@oireachtas.ie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaryLouMcDonald
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MaryLouMcDonaldTD
Alan Kelly TD
Leader, Labour Party
Tel: 067 34190
Email: alan.kelly@oir.ie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alankellytd/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alankellylabour
Contact all your local TDs and urge them to push for a ban on foxhunting and all bloodsports. Visit the Oireachtas website for names of TDs and their email addresses http://www.oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=0&HouseNum=33&disp=mem
SEE ALSO
Fox hunting faces “very uncertain and challenging future” in Ireland https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2021/01/04/fox-hunting-faces-very-uncertain-and-challenging-future-in-ireland/
Insurance claims cause major threat to hunting community
https://www.theirishfield.ie/horse-sense-insurance-claims-cause-major-threat-to-hunting-community-636541/
Why is it hard for hunts to get insurance cover?
https://www.theirishfield.ie/hunting-why-is-it-hard-for-hunts-to-get-insurance-cover-646491/
Witness the cruelty of foxhunting
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xy89bk_why-foxhunting-must-be-banned-in-ireland_animals
http://www.banbloodsports.com/videos.htm
https://youtu.be/cbLKs9pgQno