How getting the right cover saved our Grooming client from big bills and sleepless nights.
February 22, 2021
Our pet grooming client hadn’t had a previous issue but a nick with the clippers changed that.
Unfortunately, a groomer injured a dog in their salon by accidentally cutting the dog’s skin with their clippers, which can happen so easily and the main type of claim we see. The client was told of the accident, however, the dog’s cut deteriorated over a few days and ultimately caused life-threatening injuries. The animal was taken to an after-hours veterinary clinic on multiple occasions and after having a number of complex procedures performed, was held at the vets overnight on a drip for observation. Specialist testing was also required to be done.
This was a very stressful time for the groomer who was presented with a ‘Letter of Demand’ to reimburse her client over $16,800 worth of veterinary invoices.
On top of the vet bills, the groomer’s client (a medical specialist earning just over $4,000 per day) had to take time off work to spend with the dog to monitor its health, as well as attend check-up appointments.
The claim has not yet closed, it is ongoing, however, to date has resulted in a payout of over $27,000.
THE FIX
At the start of the relationship with the client, we suggested our specialist cover for Groomers. Other brokers and insurers offer similar cover, however, it is usually capped at only $5,000 or $12,000.
Our cover offers a limit of up to $20,000,000 and there is an option to also take out Treatment Risk and Transit covers on top of this.
As you can see with this example, these limits can easily be exceeded, and in this case, the groomer could have been close to $22,000 out of pocket on. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have that sort of cash lying around, this sort of accident could end a business.
This is why we always stress the importance of:
- Having the right coverage for your business
- Not being underinsured
The outcomes for our client might’ve been very different if she had taken out a different level of cover.
