European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 09, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday october 9, 1985 the stars and stripes Page 9 losses can become disasters it ser remembers fa/7 of get liability household goods insurance rude try ii a. A. I ii ii i i r. I r .1 . Ii t. I .i-.-rr.,-by Betty Luman  Bureau unless americans living in West fic Many Purchase household goods insurance and personal liability insurance they arc taking a risk of suffering heavy financial losses according to insurance agents and military officials. While regulations cover some losses they Are not intended to be a substitute for private insurance said it. Col. Bryan Schempf Deputy chief of the army claims service for Usa eur in Mannheim Germany. You need insurance if you re going to protect your self against loss said capt. Joseph Heimann chief of the Safe claims division at Ramstein a. Uninsured americans also run the risk of being sued in West German courts. Cases against americans arc pending in West German courts said John Marlin san a civilian attorney for the Legal assistance office v corps staff judge advocate s office in Frankfurt. If a judgment is returned against an american who cannot pay his or her personal property can be confiscated and sold at auction to pay for damages caused by the individual or dependents he said. As in the states there arc a number of casually situations where you want to have somebody standing behind you with the Money Marlc sen said concerning personal liability insurance. Thai s Why we have it insurance with our   also can be held liable if they a family member guest or pet damage government housing through negligence. The military can subtract up to a month s nay then deny any claims for damages to personal goods dam aged in the incident Schempf and Heimann said. In the Case of a serious fire the uninsured family could lose a month s pay plus All of their personal be longings with no Chance of getting a reimbursement for their furniture clothes televisions stereos and other items Heimann said. The Lack of insurance also can make americans look irresponsible in the eyes of West germans who Purchase the policies As a matter of course said army staff sgt. Neil a. South Wood a military police investigator in Heidelberg. South Wood said he had never heard of the need for the additional insurance until he married a West German woman. Their insurance Ennis about 300 Marks a year and protects their household property against damage or Shefl and covers them for any damages or injuries they May cause to others he said. Insurance agents and military officials said thai while civilians and officers lend to Purchase insurance for household goods and personal liability enlisted person Nel do not. Hans j. Schob chief Legal adviser for usaa in Frank Furt said about half of inc 24,555 officers who Purchase Auto insurance from usaa buy household goods insurance and about 8,070 Are insured for personal liability. Most of the officers carry the policies in the United status and continue them in West Germany he said. Usaa offers $25,000 Worth of household goods insurance  with a 5100 deductible for $109 a year. In Europe premiums for $300,000 Worth of personal liability insurance  Are $46 a year. Agents located near Cambrai Frisch Cavern in Darmstadt and Kam Stcin a said less than 10 percent of the enlisted people who Purchase car insurance from them also Purchase the other policies. Most people Don t realize the risk they have said Brian Sloan owner of american service Agency in Kai  and . Whether to buy the Protection also is a matter of priorities Sloan said. His Agency offers combined policies covering personal liability pets household goods Legal Protection and vehicle breakdowns for less than $3 a week in some cases. Sloan said the decision comes Down to this would you rather have three Beers or a six pack of Coke or would you rather be protected Eileen Paloncy an agent with american International underwriters in Darmstadt said people often come to her office when it s Loo late and they already have suffered a loss. The americans Don i know much about he German Law said Thomas Ruhling of the same Agency. They think the . Government covers it All. Thai s not  eve p though the Cost is Low Aiu offers personal liability insurance for 100 Marks a year and household goods insurance for 2.50 Marks per 1,000 Marks value some officials said lower ranking enlisted people still May not be Able to afford it. Some of these Young soldiers have their wives and families Over it s tight said Leslie Johnson of usar Kur s head Start program in Heidelberg. Sometimes they turn a Dollar Over twice before letting go of  Schempf said senior cos and officers usually arc at greater risk than enlisted people when they do not have personal liability insurance because they have greater assets. With Junior soldiers the risk is nol there he said. An other thing frankly they May nol be Able to afford  Southwood said his office gets Calls every third or fourth Day from Wesl germans complaining of dam Ages caused by americans. The damages can Range from broken windows caused by  children to fires in rented apartments. Several years ago. A . Service member in Berlin had to pay for repairs to a Mercedes that hit his Young daughter and broke her leg Southwood said. The Ameri can family was responsible for the damage because the girl ran into the Street from Between two parked cars and personal liability insurance would have covered re pairing the car he said. Soul Wood said re almost had to use his insurance recently. "1 was Spray painting Rny Balcony he said. Sonic of inc paint drifted and got on a neighbor s  the neighbor took the Carlo a body shop and found the paint could be removed with rubbing compound. But if the car had needed a new paint Job Southwood s insurance would have covered it he said. It was a mistake Southwood said. I made it. I m liable for  military limits its liability for losses by gis workers  and . Civilian employees in West Germany should not expect the military to cover All losses and damages to their personal property or pay for All damages and injuries they cause to Wesl germans claims officers say. Two types of personal insurance claims Are handled by inc government service officials say those by military people and . Civilian employees for their own prop erty losses and Inose by West germans for losses or injuries caused by americans. The army and air Force claims offices each handle claims by their  and . Civilian employees for damages and losses to their personal goods. However if the Scricc member or a family member contributed to the loss through negligence the claim will be denied officials said. The first Rule in resp Cal to any claim is the damage or loss cannot be caused in whole or in part by the Scricc member or family said Cape. Joseph Heimann chief of the Safe claims division at Ramstein a. In addition there Are limits on the amount of Money thai can be reimbursed for any individual icim. Maj. Gregory Parsons also of inc Usa eur claims office said people concerned Aboul their own goods should review the regulations showing How much the government will pay for the loss of any Given item. While the government will reimburse a maximum $25.000. Limits on individual items might make it worthwhile to Purchase umbrella insurance policies for More expensive personal property he said. For example. Army regulation 27-20, chapter ii limits reimbursement for Ste reos to $750 per item and j2.500 per claim Parsons said. However the value of the Ste Reo also is depreciated 5 percent a year for a maximum 75 percent depreciation. Rugs Are limited to ,500 per item and s3.000 per claim with an annual depreciation of 2 percent for rugs exceeding $1.000, 5 percent for rugs valued from $100 to $999 and 10 percent for rugs under $100 for a maximum depreciation of 75 percent. The air Force has similar limits on the amount it will reimburse said Cape. Thom As Atkinson base claims officer for Ramstein a. Officials of both services said if a claim ant has private insurance a claim first must be made against the insurance company. The person then can file a claim with the government seeking possible reimbursement for any deductible required by the policy or any damage nol covered. Claims by West germans against inc . Government for property damage or personal injury caused by service members and . Civilian employees fall under the nato status of forces agreement and foreign claims act. The army handles such claims for All the services in West Germany France and Belgium. The nato agreement handles claims for damages caused by soldiers or . Civilian employees during the performance of official duties. Resulting payments Are shared by the uni cd Stales and West Germany. The foreign claims act handles claims filed As a result of misconduct or negligence by soldiers or . Civilians acting beyond the scope of i hair official duties. Any payment is handled in full by the . Government. The uni cd states is under no Legal obligation to make payment warned it. Col. Bryan Schempf Deputy chief of the army claims service for Usa eur in Mannheim. It is a discretionary payment. The government is not an All risk insurer f or the  the whole idea behind sex Gratia pay ments is to maintain Good relations Wilh inc Host nation said Cape. Richard progent of the army claims service Mannheim office. However acts of negligence by family members arc nol compensate under the foreign claims act progent said. There s got to be some direct link to the Scricc member in order for the govern Mem to pay he said. Progent pointed out that Standard leases Between american tenants and West German landlords specifically slate inc . Govern Mcnol is nol a party to the contract and will not be liable for unpaid rent or utilities nor for damages caused by the tenant. Heimann who served As an air Force defense attorney in the Stales before his Iran scr to Olsi Germany said he saw Many clients who left England owing huge Csc cleric Bills. The  were told they had to pay the Bill he said. The Point we want to make is we re not going to bail you out when you arc negligent or fail to pay Bills Heimann said. However even insurance will nol pro decl a person who fails to pay Bills. When inc army claims service receives claims from Wesl germans for property damages the office Oflyn refers the matter to the  s local commander Whu then decides whether a request for voluntary res Littion is in order. In some cases soldiers who fail to pay a just debt can be assessed non judicial punishment by the army and those who Are interested in i hair career often make the voluntary payment. Pregel said. Betty  owners liability makes pet insurance a necessity Mannheim Germany the Legal Rispon Sibily of owning a dog in Wesl Germany is differ Cal from that in the United states which is one reason West germans Purchase Pel insurance a Usa eur claims office Al the american Soldier should hold himself to the same Standard As the a stage German in regard to pets capt. Richard progent of Mannheim said. Pet insurance is common and the reason for thai is because German Law is different from american Law. German Law is absolute join and severable liability for the actions of a Pel he said. Whal in Means is if your family has a Pel you and or your spouse will be held responsible for anything that your animal  pregent said a lawsuit totalling hundreds of thousands of dollars is nol unusual if a dog runs a motorcyclist off the Road and the Driver is crippled for life. It can Cost More for insurance to cover any injuries caused by a dog than for liability insurance covering an entire family. A Standard personal liability policy costing 100 Marks a year provides coverage up to 1 million Marks for a combined single limit for bodily injury and property damage 50,000 Marks for financial losses and 100,000 Marks for tenants liability for damages to rented buildings. Personal liability arising out of the ownership of a dog costs an additional 130 Marks a year under the same policy. Betty Luman