Digital teaching materials such as tablets or laptops have also found their way into everyday school life on a large scale as rental devices during the Corona pandemic. Some schools provide individual rental devices or have purchased entire class sets. But what about the liability issue? Are the families adequately insured or are there gaps in the insurance contracts? Is there even a risk of a deductible?
Liability issues for rental equipment clarified?
The sensitive electrical devices are susceptible to damage if handled improperly.
“If laptops etc. break during the school year, the question of liability quickly arises.”
Anna Follmann, insurance expert at the Rhineland-Palatinate Consumer Center
She advises parents to check with the school whether the rental device is insured. If this is not the case, you should check your own insurance or put an emergency fund aside in case of an emergency. The consumer advice center provides information about which insurance policies can be taken into account in the event of damage:
Home contents insurance
Household contents insurance includes other people's property, as long as it is normally in the household. Depending on the insurance conditions, there is insurance cover for classic household contents risks such as fire including surges, burglary, tap water, storms and hail. Protection against natural hazards and natural hazards such as floods, heavy rain, flooding, backwater, landslides, earthquakes, etc. can be actively booked.
But be careful: in most cases, simple theft is not included in the insurance. The insurance only pays if the thief steals the laptop from a locked cupboard, for example. Glass insurance usually does not cover display damage.
Personal liability insurance
Normally, borrowed items are completely excluded from liability insurance. Modern and powerful tariffs now also insure borrowed items such as equipment borrowed from schools. If this protection is included in the existing policy, the insurance will pay out in the event of damage caused by a fall, for example.
But be careful: Many liability tariffs generally provide for a deductible of between 150 or 250 euros for damage to borrowed items. The parents are usually stuck with these costs.
“Even if liability insurance covers borrowed items, not all damage is necessarily insured. Some tariffs expressly exclude loss.”
Anna Follmann, insurance expert at the Rhineland-Palatinate Consumer Center
Exclusions for wear, tear and excessive use as well as intentional damage are standard. If a child intentionally damages the device, for example as part of a test of courage or in a tantrum, liability insurance will generally not cover the damage. However, if the tablet is damaged by water from a fallen glass, this could be classified as gross negligence and would be insured.
Electronics insurance
With electronics insurance, electrical devices can be insured against numerous risks. This insurance can be taken out either separately or as an additional component to household contents insurance. Such insurance is usually not worthwhile because of the comparatively low value of the devices and the amount of premiums and deductibles.
Further information
Because of the enormous differences in premiums for liability and household contents insurance, the consumer advice center urgently recommends comparing prices. Stiftung Warentest offers test reports . The test booklets can also be viewed at the local consumer advice centers. Parents can also receive independent initial advice on insurance issues there.
There is extensive information about insurance on the consumer advice center website:
Source: Rhineland-Palatinate Consumer Center
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