Glossary
Personal liability (responsabilité civile vie privée)
Cover for bodily, material, or immaterial damage caused unintentionally to a third party outside of any professional activity, for example by oneself, one's children, or one's pets.
This cover pays the compensation owed to a third party when the policyholder is found liable for accidental damage in the course of their private life: a child who injures a classmate, damage caused at a third party’s home, a pet that causes an accident. It excludes, however, intentional damage and damage linked to a professional activity, which fall under a separate cover.
In France, this liability is often included in home or comprehensive insurance, but this attachment generally stops applying once settled abroad, depending on the contract’s terms. Moving abroad therefore most often means checking this cover and, if needed, taking out a dedicated policy valid in the country of residence.
Example
A child who accidentally breaks a classmate's glasses abroad may be covered by their parents' personal liability insurance, if their French policy no longer applies once settled outside France.
Also searched as: personal civil liability · family liability cover
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