In the Netherlands you are liable under the law, for any damage or injury caused to anyone, as a result of your action or your failure to act when action was required. This means that in that case, you have the obligation to financially compensate the person suffering damage or injury. A TPI (‘WA-verzekering’) covers this.
A TPI covers almost all financial damage, a private individual can be held liable for, regardless of how the incident giving raise to the liability occurred. The amount of damage can be quite considerable, think for instance of the medical costs in case of a victim of an accident caused by you. A TPI will also cover any damage your child or pet might cause, to someone else’s property. Damage caused by motor vehicles, such as inter alia in the event of a collision, is not covered by a TPI.
Fire and theft can cause considerable damage to your household contents and personal belongings and replacement of these items will entail costs. You can insure yourself for this, by taking out a home contents insurance (‘inboedelverzekering’). If you have a home contents insurance, your household contents and personal belongings present in your home (room, studio, apartment or house), are insured against, for example burglary, fire and water damage. It is important to make sure, you have proper coverage under your home contents insurance. The contents of your home and your personal belongings there present, should be insured at replacement value. If your coverage is too low, the insurer will pay out less, even in case of minor damage. In that case the insurance money will be insufficient to replace the old contents and personal belongings with new ones.
Report the burglary immediately to the police and to your insurer or insurance intermediary. The insurer usually will send an expert to assess the situation in your home. Make a list of what is missing and the value of each and every item. Gather the purchase receipts of items missing.
Immediately report loss or theft of your debit card or credit card to your bank, by telephone or online via internet banking. The telephone numbers below are available 24 hours seven days a week. To prevent abuse of the card by others, the bank will then block the card concerned immediately. Save the correct telephone number in you mobile phone or agenda.