Damage to veterinary equipment

Guild Insurance regularly manages claims where veterinary equipment has been severely damaged and needs to be repaired or replaced. While insurance is there to ease the burden when these events occur, it’s also important that those using the equipment think about the role they play in this.

What can go wrong?

A lot of the damage that occurs to veterinary equipment happens when the equipment is being transported, taken in and out of vehicles and used in various locations. Some examples of these include:

• While having an x-ray taken, a horse has kicked and damaged the x-ray machine
• While being placed back into a car after use, an x-ray machine was damaged
• During a procedure on a dog, ultrasound equipment was dropped while being moved
• A laptop was damaged due to ultrasound gel getting into it while being transported in a vehicle

Could the incident be prevented?

In some of these cases, the incident is challenging to prevent as animals are often unpredictable. However, in many cases human error has been a factor, and something could have been done differently. When dealing with valuable equipment, be mindful of how it’s being lifted, carried and where it’s placed. Also think about what it’s being stored with or near; Guild has seen numerous examples of lube getting into equipment that wasn’t stored securely away from the equipment.

The business impact

We can sometimes develop a casual approach to property damage thinking ‘that’s what insurance is for’. However, this view disregards the impact on professionals and their business while the claim is being settled. Damaged equipment won’t be repaired or replaced the next day. While Guild does its best to settle these matters quickly, the business will still be without that equipment for a short period. So, when considering what you can do to reduce the likelihood of damage to your equipment, also think about how you'd manage if you didn’t have some equipment for a week or two.

Minimise the impact

As you can’t always prevent an incident from occurring, the next best step is to minimise the impact. One way to do this is to provide detailed information to Guild, so a claim can be settled quickly. If damaged equipment needs to be repaired or replaced, document exactly what happened and how; taking photos of the damage will also assist. Then be sure to contact us as soon as you can, ready to provide this information.

Adequate insurance

As veterinary equipment is expensive, it’s costly to replace. Unfortunately, we often see cases where an insurance policy doesn’t cover the full cost of equipment repairs or replacement, meaning the vet or their business must cover the additional amount. Please take the time to determine the value of the equipment you own and therefore the cost that may be incurred if it was damaged, and check your insurance policy to be sure you’re fully covered.

Don't go it alone, contact Guild today on 1300 810 213 or visit guildne.ws/AVAmember

DISCLAIMER

^{Insurance issued by Guild Insurance Limited ABN 55 004 538 863, AFSL 233791 and subject to terms, conditions and exclusions. Guild Insurance supports the AVA through the payment of referral fees. This information is of a general nature only. Please refer to the policy wording and policy schedule for details. For more information call 1800 810 213. VET569300 Member vet advertorial – February 1/2026}