>**Despite there being no successful personal injury claim against Galway Skates since it started in 2016**
I don’t understand the business model. A number of pubs etc closed in my homeplace even before covid and largely haven’t been able to re-open due to insurance costs.
One theory… And it’s just a theory, is that the insurance companies increase the premium by a ridiculous amount and then they “settle” back at 2 or 3 times the original, possibly negating some short term losses.
So much for the new PIAB assessments
Oh no, where will I go now to fall on my ass multiple times while my kids laugh their heads off.
Insurance companies need to be reigned in. I know so many that had to close their businesses because of massive hikes despite there never having been any claims.
Claim culture is insane in Ireland. Until judges stop awarding huge sums for nothing injuries insurance premiums will keep going up
I thought we had gotten on top of this. Motor insurance has been way down compared to where it was a few years back.
This is a slippery road we are going down
And to think that they’re open year round in other countries…
Surly when you go ice skating you are accepting a certain level of risk of injury. Maybe people shouldn’t be allowed to use services like this with their own personal insurance.
Insurance companies are not fit for purpose.
Galway’s only ice rink? I wouldn’t have expected Galway to have one at all never mind more. Didn’t think it would be regarded as normal for any Irish city to have multiple ice rinks. s
I looked into opening a rage room a few years ago. I was laughed at by insurance companies. We can’t have fun shit in this country because of insurance companies and compo claims.
While I do have much sympathy for this business owner trying to keep the lights on, there is probably a lot more behind this story.
He may not have had any successful claims made against him, but there could be multiple open claims, which his current insurer must hold reserves against, and pay legal fee’s to fight etc.
His broker should have access to the London Market, where there would be much more capacity than there would domestically – If they broker has done their job, and looked high and low for quotes, then the risk itself must be pretty shite and deemed unprofitable at a reasonable premium – the 700% quote was probably just to get them a quote, even if incredibly unlikely to proceed.
The Casualty/Liability market in Ireland is broken, most Insurers want very little to do with it, as claims experience are much higher than just about everywhere else in Europe.
Obviously this is an individual case, but as capacity is being squeezed, the Gov could step in and come up with a state insurer/pool, co-insure these risks and put some skin in the game.
In other countries, there are Terrorism Pools, which are state run, Insurer’s subscribe, pay yearly fee’s. In the event of a defined event, the pool then pays the claims, funded by the Insurers contributions up to X, then by the state in excess of X.
Not really common to see such arrangement for non-terrorism cover though!
Ireland is becoming a dull place.
It’s a much bigger problem than just Galway.
Sad.
​
‘Ice sports, in particular figure skating, are one of the few sport forms that incorporates all these components, ensuring a well-rounded exercise routine. Currently the only full-time ice rink on the island of Ireland is Dundonald Ice Bowl, located in Belfast, Northern Ireland.Nov 7, 2021’
This is some mafia level “Nice business you’ve got there…” bullshit – affecting every small business in the economy.
Twas far from ice rinks the vast majority of us were raised! Plus there’s a cost of living and a manufactured energy crisis going on at the minute. Imagine the cost and the amount of energy it would take trying to keep that ice frozen for a month!
The supply chain and energy costs to power an insurance cost have gone up just like everything else sure don’t you know?
This is a hidden driver of rip-off Ireland, it’s been known about for the last ten years, and our government has done absolutely *nothing* about it other than a half-arsed token gesture (capping payouts) which does nothing to address the root cause of the problem, which is the utterly insane burden of liability on a business owner vs the nonexistant liability of common sense on patrons.
So now the insurance company gets zero? They must be pricing themselves out of business on purpose. They can’t be that stupid.
The only solution is to bring in the fun police and have everyone sign a waiver. But no one would be on board for that.
Is it pure greed or is there a reason for the huge insurance increase? Seems like they’re losing out on money if places just can’t get insurance.
Need more policy and promotion pertaining to personal responsibility. Waivers and shit are a pain in area for customers and business alike but realistically if you end up in courts complaining of a sore arse because you fell in an ice rink the court should be allowed to laugh them out of the place
And there needs to be a harder stance off phoney claims. Especially this anxiety and PTSD shite from cases where someone slipped on a wet floor in a business, you should be paid enough for your bills and any time off work to be covered and that’s that
This ice rink has been one of the few main draws to make a trip into Galway. There seriously is not a lot to do there these days, and its shrinking month by month it seems.
Why can’t we have disclaimers where people can sign away their right to sue if they get injured?
Anyone else who really dislikes these ice rinks? I’m sorry hahaha
It’s mental that we don’t have a single full time ice rink in the whole republic.
I’ve emailed Gallagher and asked them to get in touch.
The issue is the compo culture we have in this country and the whole legal system which feeds off these claims.
If it were so profitable, the insurance companies would be fighting for these premiums which would naturally cause a race to the bottom in terms of price.
But the fact is, it is not profitable for insurance companies due to the immense payouts for fucking anything.
29 comments
>**Despite there being no successful personal injury claim against Galway Skates since it started in 2016**
I don’t understand the business model. A number of pubs etc closed in my homeplace even before covid and largely haven’t been able to re-open due to insurance costs.
One theory… And it’s just a theory, is that the insurance companies increase the premium by a ridiculous amount and then they “settle” back at 2 or 3 times the original, possibly negating some short term losses.
So much for the new PIAB assessments
Oh no, where will I go now to fall on my ass multiple times while my kids laugh their heads off.
Insurance companies need to be reigned in. I know so many that had to close their businesses because of massive hikes despite there never having been any claims.
Claim culture is insane in Ireland. Until judges stop awarding huge sums for nothing injuries insurance premiums will keep going up
I thought we had gotten on top of this. Motor insurance has been way down compared to where it was a few years back.
This is a slippery road we are going down
And to think that they’re open year round in other countries…
Surly when you go ice skating you are accepting a certain level of risk of injury. Maybe people shouldn’t be allowed to use services like this with their own personal insurance.
Insurance companies are not fit for purpose.
Galway’s only ice rink? I wouldn’t have expected Galway to have one at all never mind more. Didn’t think it would be regarded as normal for any Irish city to have multiple ice rinks. s
I looked into opening a rage room a few years ago. I was laughed at by insurance companies. We can’t have fun shit in this country because of insurance companies and compo claims.
While I do have much sympathy for this business owner trying to keep the lights on, there is probably a lot more behind this story.
He may not have had any successful claims made against him, but there could be multiple open claims, which his current insurer must hold reserves against, and pay legal fee’s to fight etc.
His broker should have access to the London Market, where there would be much more capacity than there would domestically – If they broker has done their job, and looked high and low for quotes, then the risk itself must be pretty shite and deemed unprofitable at a reasonable premium – the 700% quote was probably just to get them a quote, even if incredibly unlikely to proceed.
The Casualty/Liability market in Ireland is broken, most Insurers want very little to do with it, as claims experience are much higher than just about everywhere else in Europe.
Obviously this is an individual case, but as capacity is being squeezed, the Gov could step in and come up with a state insurer/pool, co-insure these risks and put some skin in the game.
In other countries, there are Terrorism Pools, which are state run, Insurer’s subscribe, pay yearly fee’s. In the event of a defined event, the pool then pays the claims, funded by the Insurers contributions up to X, then by the state in excess of X.
Not really common to see such arrangement for non-terrorism cover though!
Ireland is becoming a dull place.
It’s a much bigger problem than just Galway.
Sad.
​
‘Ice sports, in particular figure skating, are one of the few sport forms that incorporates all these components, ensuring a well-rounded exercise routine. Currently the only full-time ice rink on the island of Ireland is Dundonald Ice Bowl, located in Belfast, Northern Ireland.Nov 7, 2021’
This is some mafia level “Nice business you’ve got there…” bullshit – affecting every small business in the economy.
Twas far from ice rinks the vast majority of us were raised! Plus there’s a cost of living and a manufactured energy crisis going on at the minute. Imagine the cost and the amount of energy it would take trying to keep that ice frozen for a month!
The supply chain and energy costs to power an insurance cost have gone up just like everything else sure don’t you know?
This is a hidden driver of rip-off Ireland, it’s been known about for the last ten years, and our government has done absolutely *nothing* about it other than a half-arsed token gesture (capping payouts) which does nothing to address the root cause of the problem, which is the utterly insane burden of liability on a business owner vs the nonexistant liability of common sense on patrons.
So now the insurance company gets zero? They must be pricing themselves out of business on purpose. They can’t be that stupid.
The only solution is to bring in the fun police and have everyone sign a waiver. But no one would be on board for that.
Is it pure greed or is there a reason for the huge insurance increase? Seems like they’re losing out on money if places just can’t get insurance.
Need more policy and promotion pertaining to personal responsibility. Waivers and shit are a pain in area for customers and business alike but realistically if you end up in courts complaining of a sore arse because you fell in an ice rink the court should be allowed to laugh them out of the place
And there needs to be a harder stance off phoney claims. Especially this anxiety and PTSD shite from cases where someone slipped on a wet floor in a business, you should be paid enough for your bills and any time off work to be covered and that’s that
This ice rink has been one of the few main draws to make a trip into Galway. There seriously is not a lot to do there these days, and its shrinking month by month it seems.
Why can’t we have disclaimers where people can sign away their right to sue if they get injured?
Anyone else who really dislikes these ice rinks? I’m sorry hahaha
It’s mental that we don’t have a single full time ice rink in the whole republic.
I’ve emailed Gallagher and asked them to get in touch.
The issue is the compo culture we have in this country and the whole legal system which feeds off these claims.
If it were so profitable, the insurance companies would be fighting for these premiums which would naturally cause a race to the bottom in terms of price.
But the fact is, it is not profitable for insurance companies due to the immense payouts for fucking anything.