Ethias SA
Ethias
Ethias is a motor third-party liability insurance for the Belgium market with no online purchase and 24/7 assistance.
Direct payment
Ethias may settle claims directly with the injured third party or their heirs rather than reimbursing the policyholder, and pays interest, legal costs and lawyer/expert fees even beyond the indemnity limits; claims handled through an Ethias-approved repairer benefit from a reduced or waived deductible and a direct third-party-payer (tiers payant) arrangement, and any acknowledgement, settlement or payment made by the insured without Ethias's written consent is not binding on Ethias.
Geographic scope
Belgium
Civil liability coverage applies in every country shown on the Green Card that has not been struck out, in line with the international motor insurers' agreement; the optional Europe guarantee additionally covers bodily injury under Belgian common law in a defined list of European countries.
Unique selling points
- Mobility roadside assistance is included free of charge and automatically with the base liability cover, available 24/7 in Belgium, Luxembourg and up to 50 km beyond the border.
- The BOB guarantee reimburses up to €300,000 for bodily injury and material damage above €500 suffered by a designated sober driver held liable while driving a friend's vehicle free of charge.
- The optional Europe guarantee compensates bodily injury suffered abroad according to Belgian common-law compensation levels, whichever foreign law would otherwise apply.
- The bonus-malus 'joker', earned after five consecutive claim-free years at grade 0, absorbs the policyholder's first at-fault claim without any increase on the bonus-malus scale.
- Repairs carried out by an Ethias-approved repairer come with a reduced or waived contractual deductible, a direct third-party-payer arrangement and a courtesy car.
Coverage limits
Bodily Injury Liability
unlimited
Compensation for bodily injury caused to third parties by the insured vehicle is unlimited, with no cap on the indemnity.
Property Damage Liability
€100,000,000
Compensation for material/property damage caused to third parties by the insured vehicle is capped at €100,000,000 per claim, an amount indexed annually under article 3 of the Belgian law of 21 November 1989; damage caused by an act of terrorism is covered through Ethias's membership of the TRIP reinsurance pool, subject to a combined market-wide cap of €1.7 billion per calendar year.
Legal Defence / Legal Assistance
€25,000 – €75,000
Optional legal-assistance guarantee covering investigation, expert, lawyer and procedural costs before Belgian and foreign courts: the base 'Rechtsbijstand' tier covers up to €25,000 per claim, while the extended 'Rechtsbijstand Plus' tier covers up to €75,000 per claim and adds worldwide cover for negotiations and judicial/administrative proceedings plus insolvency-of-third-parties and repatriation cover within the EU, Norway and Switzerland.
Green Card (International Insurance Certificate)
Covered
The Green Card is issued automatically with the mandatory civil liability cover and extends the policy's territorial validity to every country shown on the card that has not been struck out, in line with the international motor insurers' agreement.
Roadside Assistance (Mobility)
Covered
Free, automatic 24/7 roadside assistance is included with the civil liability cover: after a traffic accident in Belgium, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg or up to 50 km beyond the Belgian border with neighbouring countries, Ethias tows the damaged vehicle and brings passengers safely home, regardless of fault; a courtesy car can also be provided if the policyholder is undisputedly in the right or holds full omnium cover and uses an Ethias-approved repairer.
Driver Accident Insurance
€1,500,000
Optional guarantee paying up to €1,500,000 per claim for the bodily injury or death of the driver of the insured vehicle in a traffic accident, whether or not the driver was at fault, calculated under Belgian common-law compensation rules.
Passenger Accident Cover (Weak Road User Compensation)
unlimited
There is no standalone passenger-accident product; passengers of the insured vehicle qualify as 'weak road users' under article 29bis of the law of 21 November 1989, so the insurer must compensate their bodily injury without any indemnity limit, regardless of fault, as part of the mandatory civil liability cover. Only the driver can additionally be covered, and only under the optional Driver Accident Insurance.
Key conditions
Territorial scope
Civil liability coverage is valid in every country for which cover is granted according to the Green Card insurance certificate; it applies to accidents occurring on public roads or on public or private land.
Green card rules
Coverage follows the Green Card (international motor insurance certificate): cover applies in every country listed on the card that has not been crossed out; if an accident occurs abroad, compensation follows the compulsory motor insurance law of the country where the accident happened, unless Belgian law provides broader cover, in which case the insured keeps the benefit of the wider Belgian cover.
Driver restrictions
The insurer has a right of recourse against the policyholder or insured if the vehicle is driven by someone who does not meet the legal minimum age, holds no valid driving licence, breaches the specific restrictions on their licence, or is banned from driving in Belgium, or if the vehicle fails Belgian roadworthiness inspection and is used outside the still-authorised routes; drivers under 26 years old trigger a contractual excess of €800 (or €500 if declared in the policy and the claim occurs on a weekend or public-holiday night) when the policyholder is 30 or older.
Claim notification deadline
Every claim must be reported in writing immediately and at the latest within 8 days of occurrence.
Bonus-malus rules
The base commercial premium is calculated at bonus-malus grade 13 (100%); the scale runs from grade 0 (45% of the base premium) to grade 22 (219%). Each claim-free observed insurance period lowers the grade by 1, while each at-fault claim raises it by 5. Policyholders at grade 0 for 3+ years get a 5% discount, rising to 10% after 8+ years; a 'joker' earned after 5 consecutive claim-free years at grade 0 protects against the first at-fault claim, keeping the policyholder at grade 0.
Policy specifics
Mobility Benefits (Roadside Assistance)
Free 24-hour roadside assistance service included automatically with third-party liability coverage. Includes towing, passenger repatriation, and potential replacement vehicle provision under specific conditions.
SourceBodily Injury Liability Limit
No compensation limit for damages resulting from bodily injury (death, injury, illness) caused to third parties. This is unlimited coverage as required by Belgian law.
SourceProperty Damage Liability Limit
Compensation for material damage caused to third parties is limited to €100,000,000 per claim. This high limit covers damage to vehicles, property, and other assets belonging to third parties.
SourceGeographic Coverage Area
Third-party liability coverage applies in all countries specified on the Green Card (insurance certificate) that have not been struck out. Coverage follows the international motor insurance agreement framework.
SourceClaims Notification Timeline
In case of a traffic accident, the insured must immediately notify Ethias and file an accident report (European Accident Statement) with local police authorities. Notification should be made within reasonable time after the accident occurs.
SourceScope of Insured Persons
Coverage extends to: (1) the policyholder, (2) any authorized driver of the insured vehicle, (3) passengers transported in the vehicle, and (4) any other person legally liable for damages caused by the vehicle. Coverage is specific to third-party liability.
SourceDirect Payment vs. Reimbursement
Ethias reserves the right to pay compensation directly to the injured third party or their heirs, or to reimburse the policyholder. Ethias pays beyond the compensation limits for interest on the principal compensation due, civil action costs, and attorney/expert fees.
SourcePremium Payment Obligation
The policyholder must pay the annual premium and applicable taxes/contributions by the premium due date. Payment must be made to Ethias or a duly authorized collection agent. Failure to pay voids coverage.
SourceSubrogation Rights
When Ethias pays compensation for damage caused by a third party, Ethias is subrogated into the insured's rights and claims against the liable third party. Ethias can pursue recovery of paid compensation from the responsible party.
Source