MOTOR ACCIDENTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 February 1941, Page 7

MOTOR ACCIDENTS

! POSITION OF HOME GUARDS : I I INSURANCE CLAIMS. I | I LIABILITY DEFINED BY MINISTER 'By Telegraph — Press Association.) : WELLINGTON. This Day. I The liability for insurance claims i arising out of accidents to motor- ; vehicles being used for Homo Guard i and emergency purposes was discussed i last evening by the Minister of NaI tional Service. Mr Semple. He said , that if a vehicle belonging to a Home • Guardsman and actually being used by | him in person was involved in an aeci- ; dent, the insurance office concerned (would meet any bona-fide claim for i damage to the car or to other pro- ! perty. | Mr Semple said that the GovernI men: had been approached by a numi her of persons serving under the Home ! Guard and the Emergency Precautions I Scheme respecting the liability for i claims ari-ing out of accidents to I motor-vehicles being used for Home Guard "and emergency purposes. "The position L." said the Minister, "that Home Guardsmen who have no other means of transport may use their cars or trucks to convey themselves and sometimes other guardsmen io mid from parades, while a: times their vehicles may be used for training purposes. 1 "So far as personal injury is conI corned, any’ Home Guardsman who is I injured may qualify for a pension or allowance for himself mid his deponI dants on the same basis and at the] same rates, as provided for lite members of the Territorial Forces. The possibility of death is also covered by these pension provisions. "However, the position regarding! damage to the vehicle concerned or to ! third parly property was not quite so I clear, and in order to clarify the post-! lion, arrangements were made for a | conference of representatives of all the; insurance offices concerned. This con-i ference unanimously decided that no j differentiation would be made between j claims of this nature and ordinary claims. In other words, if a vehicle belonging to a Home Guardsman and actually being used by him in person, is involved in an accident, the insurance office concerned will meet any bona fide claim for damage to the car or to other property. "Policy holders concerned may. therefore, rest assured that the use of their vehicles on Homo Guard duties will not affect Ihoir rights under policies of insurance.” said the Minister, | "but it should be noted that in the event of enemy action becoming im-i minent or actually occurring, the po-j sition of all insurance contracts Will j require reconsideration. I also wish to emphasise that the onus for insuring a vehicle is on the owner, mid if he fails to take this precaution the Government cannot accept liability for loss or damage arising out of mi accident occurring while on Home; Guard duties.'’