"No risk - no fun"?
During the summer season, countless Swiss people are once again drawn to the outdoors. Whether hiking, biking, swimming or canoeing - what could be better than enjoying the long, warm summer days in the fresh air? But beware: as the spirit of adventure increases, so do the number of accidents and the threat of severe reductions in insurance benefits. This can be prevented.
A group of young adults practice jumping off a rock into the Rhine without seeing the bottom of the river. Two female friends undertake a challenging climbing trip, although they have little knowledge of climbing and only inadequate equipment. A man who is a sports enthusiast takes part in downhill mountain biking races and trains regularly for this on the race track.
Such daring actions are not uncommon during the summer months. But watch out: Those who seek thrills and adrenaline rushes without taking appropriate safety measures not only risk their health, but also face severe benefit cuts in the event of an incident. "Many recreational activities are not only associated with health risks, but in the event of an Accident also have massive financial consequences," warns Oliver Biefer, lawyer and expert on the subject of reductions in insurance benefits at Suva.
Benefit cuts of at least 50 percent
Anyone who works at least eight hours a week as an employee in Switzerland is compulsorily insured against non-occupational accidents in addition to occupational accidents. However, the law stipulates that in the event of accidents during the practice of dangerous sports - so-called risky sports - cash benefits may be reduced by at least half and may be refused in particularly serious cases. Costs for rescue, treatment, medication or transport, however, may not be reduced.
By law, a distinction is made between absolute and relative risks. Absolute risks are, for example, base jumping, Downhill race with mountain bikes (Downhill Biking), Motocross or Motorcycle race. Those who engage in such dangerous sports deliberately expose themselves to particularly great risks and dangers where the risk of accident cannot be reduced to a reasonable level. In the case of relative risks, the dangers can be reduced to a reasonable level by the athlete. Relative risks include mountaineering or climbing with serious disregard for the usual safety measures (insufficient equipment, lack of experience, bad weather, etc.).
"The minimum reduction in cash benefits such as daily allowances and disability pensions in the event of a venture is 50 percent. In serious cases, these can also be cancelled completely," says Oliver Biefer. "In order not to suffer sensitive loss of benefits in the event of an accident, we recommend that athletes find out about their insurance coverage before engaging in high-risk activities and, if necessary, take out supplementary insurance."
Each year, Suva reduces benefits for around 200 to 250 accidents due to exceptional risks and dangers. Most of the reductions concern accidents in the sports of motocross and downhill biking, Martial Arts or when doing snow sports off the marked slopes.
Many accidents can be avoided
- Leisure time should be fun, but not at the expense of health. Suva therefore recommends paying attention to the following points, especially in the case of high-risk and dangerous sports:
- Get instruction from trained professionals if a sport is new to you.
- Inform yourself about the correct behavior in dangerous situations and practice several times before venturing into an "emergency".
- Always use tested equipment.
- Find out about the insurance coverage from your accident insurance. If in doubt, take out additional insurance for dangerous sports.
Source and more info: SUVA
