For many people, melting snow marks the start of the recreational sports season. For insurance, this leads to a sharp turn in accident statistics – instead of falling over in icy conditions, damage related to amateur sports and gardening starts to increase.

According to Dagmar Gilden, Accident Insurance Product Manager at Seesam Insurance, heralds of spring are here for insurance. “Non-motorised traffic routes are gradually filling up with joggers and cyclists, homeowners take out their garden tools from the shed and start to cut trees, tidy up greenhouses and make the first repairs. The change of the season is also more and more visible in our insurance statistics and cases of falling over in icy conditions, i.e. accidents with traditionally the most substantial damage, are coming to an end for this season,” she said.

According to her, in the 2023/2024 winter season, Seesam registered a total of nearly 100 cases of falling over in icy conditions with an average indemnity for damage amounting to 500 euros.

“A very large part of this was paid out as indemnity to people who were unable to go to work for a month or more due to injuries. Personal accident insurance is a very valuable support in such situations – not only do we help speed up the receipt of necessary procedures with funds meant for treatment, but we also pay pain and suffering indemnity or sickness benefit depending on the terms and conditions of the contract that the client has entered into,” the representative of Seesam said.

Ball games and cycling as the main causes of accidents

According to the insurer, life and health insurance should now be a priority for recreational athletes and homeowners, for whom spring marks the start of gardening.

“It is very welcome that people who have put on weight in the comfort of their homes during the winter season are now aiming to get fit for summer again. However, it is worth critically assessing your abilities. When you return to high-impact exercise after a break of months, your muscles and tendons may not be ready to immediately perform at full capacity. I recommend starting exercise calmly, increasing the speed or extending the distance step by step. This allows the body to get used to the new lifestyle and reduces the risk of sprains, muscle tears, knee or back injuries associated with sports. No matter how badly you want to get fit for the summer, it is not worth spending the spring in plaster for the sake of it,” Gilden emphasised.

According to her, the most frequent accidents are related to ball games, which involve injuries to athletes’ ankles, arms, fingers and toes. Cycling is the second most popular area for insurance statistics, with a large number of scooter accidents in recent years. According to the representative of Seesam, the consequences of a fall on a bicycle can be very simple, such as large bruises and abrasions, but the highest indemnities have been associated with events resulting in head concussion, broken bones or injured teeth.

“Here, too, it is worth taking the start of the season in stride, because the ability to notice hazards and exercise peacefully with other road users on a non-motorised traffic route tends to be forgotten during the long winter. You should also make sure that your bike is in good running order and properly maintained before the season starts. Of course, you should not ride without a helmet – the higher the speed, the more serious the consequences of a seemingly innocent fall,” the insurance expert said.

Speaking about the risks associated with gardening, Dagmar Gilden said that the first spring activity every year should be to remind people of safe working methods and to inspect tools and ladders. “Ladders in particular should be looked at with a critical eye – if it already served faithfully the parents and grandparents of the homeowner, then it should be considered that every winter spent in a damp shed makes it more fragile. Replacing rotting treads could be the starting point for every gardening season – this could prevent several serious accidents every year.