Third-party liability for plant and machinery
- Compulsory on public roads
- Also during work
- Cables and pipes separately
A tractor is a motor vehicle within the meaning of the WAM. As soon as it goes onto the public road, third-party liability cover is compulsory, even when it only travels from one field to the next.
This page in another language: Nederlands
The calculator and the quote form below are in Dutch. Prefer to do this in English? Email info@finassverzekert.nl or call 072 - 509 24 56 and we will take it from there.
Work out for yourself what it would cost.
Enter your details; you will receive a proposal within one working day.
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
Tractor insurance is essentially a plant and machinery policy. The compulsory layer is the third-party liability cover under Article 2 WAM: damage you cause to others with the tractor. That obligation arises as soon as the tractor goes onto the public road, so including a short move between two fields and while mowing a verge. Since tractors have been subject to registration, an absence of cover is also easier to establish.
Above that you choose own-damage cover. That insures damage to the tractor itself: overturning into a ditch or gully, collision, fire, storm and usually theft. Third-party, fire and theft covers only a fixed list of events and leaves damage you cause yourself out of account. For an older tractor with a limited market value, that narrower variant is often worth considering.
Pay close attention to the difference between damage on and damage through the tractor. If the plough damages the drainage of a field you are working on, that is not own-damage but liability arising from the work. That claim generally belongs on the public and employers' liability insurance and not on the tractor policy.
We compare your plant and machinery insurance across dozens of insurers, explain where the real differences lie, and arrange the switch from start to finish — without you having to chase it yourself.
Plant and machinery insurance
Compare
Get coveredThe policy is built up from a compulsory third-party liability layer, an own-damage layer and a few modules covering implements and the driver.
Damage you cause to others with the machine.
Damage to the machine, the body and the attachments.
What you add separately.
What is covered
| Situation | Third-party liability for plant and machinery | Own-damage cover |
|---|---|---|
| Damage to a building or a parked car next to the site | Yes | No |
| Theft of the machine from the building site | No | Provided that |
| Fire and storm damage | No | Yes |
| Inherent defect in the hydraulics or the engine | No | Provided that |
| Damage to the item you are working on with the machine | No | No |
| Wear and deferred maintenance | No | No |
Mobile plant is a motor vehicle within the meaning of the WAM and needs third-party liability insurance on public roads; non-mobile plant does not. Damage to cables and pipes is generally only covered if the excavation notification has been made and the trial trenches have been dug. The item you work on with the machine falls under the care, custody and control exclusion.
What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) that you receive before you take out cover.
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
We look at the terms as well as the premium, and stay your point of contact when there is a claim.
We are not tied to one insurer and compare on the basis of an objective analysis of several companies.
You call or email someone who knows your file. No menu options, no changing call centres.
We cancel your old policy and align the start date, so you are never a day without cover.
We report the claim and monitor how it is handled. In urgent cases you can reach us on the emergency line.
Customers rate our service on four aspects: personal service, service delivery, availability and the outcome. The reviews are collected and published by NH1816 and come from customers who have actually taken out a policy with Finass Advies B.V. or reported a claim.
Four points that determine whether the tractor policy actually pays after a loss.
For insurance purposes a front loader, tipping trailer, plough or sprayer is not part of the tractor. If the implement is not on the policy by name and value, it is generally not covered after a fire or theft and does not count in an own-damage claim. For third-party liability cover, a coupled implement travelling on the road is usually included, but as soon as it stands detached and causes damage independently, the claim shifts to the AVB.
Policies cover use by persons with the policyholder's permission, provided they are authorised and hold the required driving licence or certification. If you let a seasonal or hired-in worker drive without those papers, the own-damage claim can be rejected. On a third-party liability claim the insurer usually does pay the injured party, the WAM protects that third party, but it can then recover.
The following, among others, are outside the cover: wear and tear and ageing, a mechanical or electrical failure without an external cause such as a broken transmission or burnt-out electronics, damage caused by overloading or incorrect use such as pulling or lifting above the manufacturer's limits, damage to the load or the item being worked on, use by an uncertified or unauthorised driver, and damage caused by intent or recklessness under Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code. Taking part in tractor pulling and other speed or strength competitions is also excluded as standard.
Report a claim as soon as reasonably possible; Article 7:941 of the Dutch Civil Code requires you to do so and a late notification can cost cover. What you declare on the application about use, annual hours, storage and whether the tractor also does contract work for third parties falls under the duty of disclosure in Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code. If that picture is not correct when a claim arises, the insurer can reduce or refuse the settlement under Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code.
This is what people ask us most.
Yes, as soon as it goes onto the public road as a motor vehicle. Article 2 WAM then requires third-party liability insurance. If the tractor stays exclusively on private ground that is not accessible to the public, that obligation formally does not exist, but liability for injury or damage to property continues to exist under Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code. In practice virtually everyone therefore opts for third-party liability cover anyway.
Yes, but the own-damage cover is then usually on market value. With an older tractor of low market value, a full comprehensive premium often no longer outweighs the possible settlement. Third-party, fire and theft, which covers only fire, theft, storm and glass damage, is then a common middle course. For a collector's tractor there is a separate classic vehicle version.
Only if they appear on the policy. Mounted implements are declared separately, with a description and value. For third-party liability cover a coupled implement generally travels with the tractor, but for own-damage and theft what has not been declared is not paid for. Add to the list with every purchase.
Then it is cargo and not a moving motor vehicle. Damage during loading, carriage and unloading often falls outside the ordinary own-damage cover and calls for a transport module or own-carriage cover. If the tractor drives itself to the next location, the normal cover applies. Arrange this before the first move.
No, not on the tractor policy. Damage to the object you are working on or with (the crop, the drainage, the track) is treated as damage arising from the work. The insurer assesses that claim on the public and employers' liability insurance, and there too a restriction often applies to damage to property in your care.
Every situation is different. For these situations we have a separate page.
Request a quote without obligation. We set the WAM obligation, the own-damage conditions and the cover for implements of each insurer side by side.
Prefer to call? 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 09:00–17:00.
Claim on the road? Emergency line 06 - 55 20 40 72.
Finass Verzekert is a trading name of Finass Advies B.V. We advise on and arrange non-life insurance on the basis of an objective analysis of several insurers, and receive commission for this from the insurer, which is included in the premium. You pay no separate advice fee. Before you take out cover, we establish your wishes and needs.
You will find our licence, KvK and Kifid details and our complaints procedure at the foot of every page.
This page was compiled by Finass Verzekert (LinkedIn). Last updated on .
The information on this page is general in nature and is not personal advice.
Maandag- Vrijdag: 09:00- 17:00
We use cookies and similar technologies to improve your experience on our website.