What is Removal’s Company Liability?

Posted on 10/09/2016

Many people neglect a big part of a moving company’s website while they are instead choosing to get a quote. But there are some parts of a website which you should absolutely read, especially since they if you use the services of the website, they become legally binding. Such are the terms and conditions of use of any removal company’s website. That is where you will discover the company liability. What is a removal’s company liability? Only the most important information you should read about in case of any accidents or misconduct.

What do you need to know about liability?

Liability is legally binding. Both you and the relocation company are legally accountable for everything that goes on during a move and should something happen, one of you will be more liable than the other. This is where legal disputes enter into play. If something you own gets damaged or goes missing, the removal company will be liable for its refunding or replacement, as according to their own terms and conditions page. But there are the companies who skip through some clauses, and leave their customers to deal with their own losses, because they have agreed to a service without actually reading about the company’s responsibilities. And this is exactly why you need to read the terms and conditions – you need to know what the company accepts liability for and what it will try and get away from. Knowing is half the battle, so be informed about which battles you can fight.

Insurance

The most important thing about liability is the insurance clause. Both you and the company have to be aware of which of your boxes and belongings are insured so that there can be an actual coverage. Some people skip insurance altogether, relying completely on the moving company’s morality and efficiency. And if you do know a company that can provide a 100% secure relocation, you can do that yourself, but in any other case make sure everything you place in their hands is insured by them and by a legally tested insurance company.

Your liability

As stated, the removal company is not the only responsible party. You are also accountable for what you place in their care. Many companies have a long list of items which are not supposed to be given for transport, such as perishables, living things (plants and animals), dangerous substances, weapons, explosive materials, and so on. If you use the removals to transport any of those, then you are the one legally responsible for their discovery and consequences. Another reason why you should be familiar with the terms and conditions is to avoid being liable in the event that you want to transport something which you didn’t know was in the company’s ‘no-no’ list and it gets discovered.

Avoiding liability

There will be companies who will try to avoid liability by stating only what they are not liable for and refusing to accept liability for anything. And there are also those who have limited liability and pay minimum dividends for any loss or damage. Make sure that you pick a company whose limited liability is meant to cover your losses and not only exist as a clause in a useless terms and conditions page.

At the end of the day, you should always read your house movers’ terms and conditions webpage since it represents the whole contract you will have with them. Make sure that they accept proper responsibility and that you are in no way packing against their own rules. And always request your insurance coverage without leaving its existence to chance. That way you will know how to react if something goes missing or gets damaged and you know who holds responsibility for what. Be the responsible mover and be informed about everything.