Third Party Insurance Accident Cover

Find a Sitter

Third Party Insurance Accident Cover

Last Updated: 4 July 2025

Please note the information in this page is high level information about the Third Party Insurance Accident Cover ONLY and it is not intended to be a complete summary of key policy terms.

Nothing contained on this page or elsewhere on the Mad Paws site in relation to the Third Party Insurance Accident Cover is general or personal advice. Furthermore, nothing contained in this page should be understood to be an express or implied condition, term or exclusion which forms part of the Insurer Third Party Insurance Policy terms and conditions or be relied upon in the event of a claim under the policy.

Further details of the Insurer and the Third Party Insurance Policy, its coverage, terms, conditions and exclusions and applicable excess and deductible details are available on request by the Sitter by contacting Mad Paws at service@madpaws.com.au.

All capitalised terms used in this page and not expressly defined in this page have the meaning given to them in the ‘Key Terms’ section of the Mad Paws Terms of Service.

1. What is Accident Cover?

At Mad Paws, the safety of our Users, Sitters and Pets is of the utmost importance and concern.

As a Pet Sitter you have a duty of care to your client. While they are rare, we understand that accidents can happen. For this reason, Mad Paws has obtained public liability insurance cover, offered by a third party insurer, that extends cover to Sitters.  As a Sitter, the insurance policy covers you from liability for certain financial costs you may incur if something goes wrong whilst caring for a Pet during a Booking, subject to the terms, conditions limitations and deductibles in the policy (Accident Cover). If you are deemed to be liable for the death or injury to a Pet, members of the general public or damage to property of a third party, then Accident Cover may provide some financial protection to you.

Accident Cover is provided by Allianz Australia Insurance Limited ABN 15 000 122 850 (AFS License No. 234708) (Insurer). Mad Paws is not the provider of Accident Cover and we are not responsible to you for paying claims under Accident Cover. Accident Cover is secondary to any other relevant insurance the User may have and Mad Paws does not make any statements or representations that the Third Party Insurance is adequate or appropriate for any particular User.  Each User must make its own enquiries about whether any further insurance is required and Sitters remain responsible for ensuring that they have, and maintain, sufficient insurance to cover the Pet Services they provide.

2. What is covered?

While many Owners already have pet health insurance, Accident Cover aims to reduce the financial risk even further by covering Sitters for certain legal liability that may arise to them arising from certain events as a result of accommodating and providing Pet Services. 

The Third Party Insurance is offered by a third party insurer. All claims under the Third Party Insurance are governed by, and subject to, the terms of the Third Party Insurance policy document issued by the Insurer (including the exclusions, limitations and deductibles specified in that policy document).  High level information about the Third Party Insurance is available on this page – further policy details can be requested from Mad Paws at service@madpaws.com.au. 

Accident Cover under the Third Party Insurance only applies to Pet Services provided in connection with Bookings that are made and paid for through the Mad Paws Platform. 

The Third Party Insurance is a third party public liability policy with a:

  • limit of liability of $20 million for any one occurrence; and
  • sub-limit of liability of $250,000 for any one occurrence for property in your care, custody and control,

(subject to the exclusions, limitations and deductibles specified in the policy document). 

The policy insures Sitters for their legal liability to pay compensation to a third party for damage to property or personal injury caused by a pet under the Sitter’s care or custody, including by way of example:

Veterinary coverage:

  • Injuries sustained by the Mad Paws guest pet as a direct result of the Pet Sitter’s service
  • Illness of a Mad Paws guest pet determined to be a direct result of the Pet Sitter’s service

Public liability:

  • Injury to members of the general public caused by the pet while in the Sitter’s care
  • Damage to the property of a third party caused by a Mad Paws pet.

All coverage is subject to the policy’s terms and conditions and there are stated exclusions that apply. Each accepted claim will be subject to a $1000 excess payment (to be covered by the Sitter) (refer further details below).

The Insurer is responsible for handling and settling any claims made under the Accident Cover.

3. What is not covered

All coverage under the Third Party Insurance is subject to the policy’s terms and conditions and there are exclusions that apply.  We cannot guarantee a claim will be successful as the decision is made by the Insurer.

Pet Services booked outside of www.madpaws.com.au are not eligible for coverage.

The policy does not cover personal injury to, or damage to property belonging to the Sitter, 

4. Who is eligible?

To qualify for coverage, the issue resulting in the Accident Cover claim must have occurred during a service that was booked and paid for via the Mad Paws platform before the start of the service. The issue must be a direct result of the actions or inaction of the Sitter and there must be evidence to prove this.

All claims made under Accident Cover and for which the policy responds are subject to an excess of $1000 that is payable by the Sitter. 

5. Extra conditions?

  • All bookings must be paid in full before the start date of the booking.
  • Accident Cover should not be confused with the usual illness cover that most pet owners may already have for their pets.  Accident Cover coverage is always secondary to any relevant pet or other insurance the Sitter or Owner may already have. Mad Paws recommends that pet sitters and pet owners obtain appropriate insurance for their Pet Services.  
  • Mad Paws does not make any statements or representations that Accident Cover is adequate or appropriate for You.  As a Sitter You remain responsible for ensuring that you have, and maintain, sufficient insurance to cover the Pet Services You provide and You must make Your own enquiries about whether any further insurance is required. The policy does not cover damage to Sitter’s property or Sitter personal injury and should not be considered a replacement for workers compensation, salary protection or other similar types of insurance.
  • The Sitter assumes full responsibility for each and every person that enters their residence. Whilst Accident Cover provides coverage for certain of the Sitter’s legal liability for personal injury to, or property damage of, a third party caused by a pet under the Sitter’s care or custody when providing Pet Services in connection with a Booking, any visitors at or to the Sitter’s residence, regardless of their affiliation to the Sitter, will not be considered third parties under the policy.  Any visitor who brings a pet to a Sitter’s home that is not booked through the Mad Paws Platform will not be eligible for any coverage under Accident Cover.
  • It is every Owner’s and Sitter’s responsibility to have his/her pet(s) fully vaccinated prior to the start of a Pet Service. This also applies for flea and tick control. If any situation arises where either the guest pet or the Sitter’s pet introduces fleas/ticks, the owner of said pet shall be held responsible for all costs related to flea/tick prevention.
  • Accident Cover does not cover any costs incurred by an Owner or Sitter in the event that they need to adjust and/or cancel travel plans due to unforeseen circumstances (i.e. hotel fees, plane tickets, etc.), or any compensation related to emotional stress, loss of income, or ongoing expenses relating to the claim.
  • Claims for medical costs require a definitive diagnosis by a qualified veterinarian to be a direct result of the Pet Service provided by the Sitter. Any diagnosis where the cause is left as undetermined may not be eligible.
  • In the event that a Pet does require medical treatment as the result of Pet Services, the Insurer will not offer any additional coverage should that Pet require treatment for further damage as the result of the relevant Owner’s negligence.

6. What do I need to do to claim Accident Cover?

First and foremost, in the event of an emergency, please follow our emergency protocol.

If you believe that an incident is covered by the Accident Cover, you must provide us with

written notice of the incident by email to service@madpaws.com.au no later than seven (7) days after the end date of the relevant booking, along with:

  • A full description of the events leading up to the incident;
  • All material documentation available to you evidencing the claim (e.g. invoices and veterinary notes from the initial veterinary examination);
  • Contact details for the veterinary practice or hospital the pet attended; and
  • The Pet Owner’s own pet insurance coverage details (if applicable).

Please note that we are not authorised to handle or settle claims for Accident Cover. All claims will be handled and settled by the Insurer.  You acknowledge and agree that in the event that a claim is made against a Sitter under the Third Party Insurance relating to any Pet Services performed by the Sitter in connection with a Booking, Mad Paws may (provided that the Sitter consents) forward any information You provide about the claim to the Insurer.   

7. Frequently Asked Questions:

Who do I contact to check if an incident is covered by Accident Cover?

You can speak with our Customer Experience Team by emailing service@madpaws.com.au  or via phone on (02) 8046 6536. Please note that we are not authorised to handle or settle claims for Accident Cover. 

Why is the excess not covered by Mad Paws when they take a fee from every booking? 

Mad Paws is not authorised to provide insurance cover and so we cannot assume liability for Accident Cover claims.

As highlighted above,  claims made under Accident Cover and accepted by the Insurer will be subject to a $1000 excess payment (to be covered by the Sitter). 

The third-party insurance policy does not apply where the claimed amount is less than the $1000 excess amount.

How long does it take for a claim to process?

Claim processing can typically take between 2-6 weeks of claim lodgement, but actual processing time varies with each case, and some cases may take longer if detailed investigation is required. However, as all Accident Cover claims are handled and settled by the Insurer directly, Mad Paws cannot guarantee how long the actual claim process will take.

How do I know if my Accident Cover claim will be successful? 

We cannot guarantee a claim will be successful as the decision is made by the Insurer.

What do I do if my claim is rejected? 

In the event that an Accident Cover claim isn’t covered, please look at our Terms Of Service to determine which party may be responsible for any unexpected costs.