The subject of Marine Insurance is very wide and encompassing, which is why there is a definite categorization of various types of marine insurance and different types of marine insurance policies.
As per the needs, requirements and specifications of the transporter, an appropriate type or type of marine insurance can be narrowed down and selected to be put into operation.
Any insurance is designed to manage risks in the event of unfortunate incidents like accidents, damage to the property and environment or loss of life.
When it comes to Ships, the stakes are higher as all factors are involved in the operation, i.e. risk of losing valuable cargo or expansive ships, the risk of damage to the environment due to oil pollution and risk of losing precious lives of seafarers due to accidents.
To ensure all the risks can be managed without the lack of monetary funds when needed the most, different Maritime insurances are made compulsory for ships and ship owners to take. Only post that, the ISM can be implemented on ships.
The types of marine insurance available for the benefit of a client are many and all of them are feasible in their own way.
Depending on the nature and scope of a client’s business, he can opt for the best marine insurance plans and enjoy the advantage of having marine insurance.
There are several marine insurance companies providing types of insurance for ship owners, cargo owners and charterers.
Hull Insurance: Hull insurance mainly caters to the torso and hull of the vessel along with all the articles and pieces of furniture on the ship. This type of marine insurance is mostly taken out by the owner of the ship to avoid any loss to the vessel in case of any mishaps occurring.
Machinery Insurance: All the essential machinery are covered under this insurance and in case of any operational damages, claims can be compensated (post-survey and approval by the surveyor).
The above two insurances also come as one under Hull & Machinery (H&M) Insurance. The H&M insurance can also be extended to cover war risk covers and strike cover (strike in port may lead to delay and increase in costs)
Protection & Indemnity (P&I) Insurance: This insurance is provided by the P&I club, which is ship owners mutual insurance covering the liabilities to the third party and risks which are not covered elsewhere in standard H & M and other policies.
Protection: Risks that are connected with ownership of the vessel. E.g. Crew related claims.
Indemnity: Risks that are related to the hiring of the ship. E.g. Cargo-related claims.
Liability Insurance: Liability insurance is that type of marine insurance where compensation is sought to be provided to any liability occurring on account of a ship crashing or colliding and on account of any other induced attacks.
Freight, Demurrage and Defense (FD&D) Insurance: Often referred to as “FD&D” or simply “Defense,” this insurance provides claims for handling assistance and legal costs for a wide range of disputes which are not covered under H&M or P&I insurance.
Freight Insurance: Freight insurance offers and provides protection to merchant vessels’ corporations which stand a chance of losing money in the form of freight in case the cargo is lost due to the ship meeting with an accident. This type of marine insurance solves the problem of companies losing money because of a few unprecedented events and accidents occurring.
Marine Cargo Insurance: Cargo insurance caters specifically to the marine cargo carried by ship and also pertains to the belongings of a ship’s voyages. It protects the cargo owner against damage or loss of cargo due to ship accident or due to delay in the voyage or unloading. Marine cargo insurance has third-party liability covering the damage to the port, ship or other transport forms (rail or truck) resulted from the dangerous cargo carried by them
The time limit for claims that are right to compensation may vary depending upon the content of the policy, and action is to be brought within that period from the date when the damage occurred.
For Newly built ships, the shipowner is under contract with the shipyard to take out insurance cover for a period (usually one year) from the date of yard delivery.
In addition to these types of marine insurance, there are also various types of marine insurance policies which are offered to the clients by insurance companies so as to provide the clients with flexibility while choosing a marine insurance policy.
The availability of a wide array of marine insurance policies gives a client a wide arena to choose from, thus enabling him to get the best deal for his ship and cargo.
The different types of marine insurance policies are detailed below:
Marine Insurance is an area which involves a lot of thought, straightforward and complex dealings in order to achieve the common ground of payment and receiving.
But as much as complex the field is, it is nonetheless interesting and intriguing because it caters to a lot of people and offers a wide range of services and policies to facilitate easy and uncomplicated business transactions.
Therefore, in the interest of the clients and the insurance providers, it is beneficial and relevant to have the right kind of marine insurance. It resolves problems not just in the short run, but also in the long run as well.
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