Insurance for high-risk sports professionals a ‘grey area’
Insurance for high-risk individuals such as professional football players presents a "grey area" for bosses, according to experts.
Representatives of financial firm Aon noted that although national associations are not obliged to buy cover, some choose to do so.
James Hands, the company’s executive director, spoke in the wake of numerous high-profile incidents involving players being injured while playing for their countries.
"Every club has a different way of looking at these things - some national associations take out insurance and some don’t," he observed.
"They can insure against whatever they want to insure against – whether that be just a player’s salary or whether that be a player having an injury that will end his career," he added.
During a match against Sweden in the 2006 World Cup, England player Michael Owen ruptured a knee ligament.
The Guardian reported that the maximum amount his club, Newcastle, could receive in compensation was £55,000 a week from the FA’s insurance policy, although this did not cover his full weekly wage.
When he was injured again, playing for England last year, the maximum potential figure had gone up to £100,000 per week.
Sports players have the option of taking out their own insurance against being injured and to secure themselves against loss of future earnings.
The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people with high risk jobs or hobbies.
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