# Cruciate ligament rupture (CCL / ACL) — clause matrix across NZ pet insurers > Tear of the cranial cruciate ligament — most common orthopaedic emergency in dogs. ~50% of dogs that rupture one side rupture the other within 12-24 months. **Why it matters:** The bilateral-conditions rule is the single highest-stakes clause. If side A is claimed, is side B then pre-existing? That decides whether the second TPLO is covered. **Vertical:** pet · **Condition:** cruciate-ligament-rupture · **Species:** dog · **Snapshot:** 2026-05-18T08:27:31.134Z **Source:** Each product's policy wording PDF (linked per row). License: CC BY 4.0 — attribute https://petinsurancecomparison.co.nz. --- ## AA Pet Insurance — AA Pet Insurance Policy **Wording version:** 2025-04-05 · **Confidence:** verified · **Key:** `bilateral_conditions_rule` > When applying a benefit limit or exclusion, a bilateral condition will be considered a single condition. Example 1: If your pet has had elbow dysplasia in the left elbow prior to the commencement date of the first policy period you are insured with us or during the applicable waiting period, which falls within the definition of pre-existing condition, subsequent elbow dysplasia in the right elbow will still be considered a pre-existing condition. A cruciate ligament condition is considered a single condition irrespective of whether one or both legs are affected. **Endpoints:** - Structured facts: https://petinsurancecomparison.co.nz/api/product/aa-pet/pet-policy/facts.json - Full wording: https://petinsurancecomparison.co.nz/api/product/aa-pet/pet-policy/wording.md - Source PDF: https://www.aa.co.nz/content/dam/nzaa/02-services/insurance/pet-insurance/documents/AAPetInsurancePolicyDocument.pdf --- ## Cove Pet Insurance — Cove Pet Insurance **Wording version:** 2026-05-18 · **Confidence:** verified · **Key:** `bilateral_conditions_rule` > When applying a benefit limit or exclusion, a bilateral condition will be considered a single condition. Example 1: If your pet has had cruciate ligament problems in the left knee prior to the commencement date of the first policy period you are insured with us or during the applicable waiting period, which falls within the definition of pre-existing condition, subsequent cruciate ligament issues in the right knee will still be considered a pre-existing condition. Example 2: If your pet suffers from a patella luxation in its left hind leg and arthritis in its right hind leg, this is not a bilateral condition, as patella luxation and arthritis are not the same condition. **Endpoints:** - Structured facts: https://petinsurancecomparison.co.nz/api/product/cove-pet/pet-insurance/facts.json - Full wording: https://petinsurancecomparison.co.nz/api/product/cove-pet/pet-insurance/wording.md - Source PDF: https://www.coveinsurance.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Pet-Insurance-Policy-CovePet012022.pdf --- ## Petcover (Petplan NZ) — Petcover Catastrophe Plan **Wording version:** 2026-05-17 · **Confidence:** verified · **Key:** `bilateral_conditions_rule` > For the avoidance of doubt when referring to Pre-Existing Conditions, and Conditions affecting a part of Your Pet's body of which it has two, will be deemed to be a Bilateral Condition and both will be excluded from cover. **Endpoints:** - Structured facts: https://petinsurancecomparison.co.nz/api/product/petcover/catastrophe/facts.json - Full wording: https://petinsurancecomparison.co.nz/api/product/petcover/catastrophe/wording.md - Source PDF: https://www.petcovergroup.com/nz/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2022/12/PCNZ-PDS_SOV-SN_Catastrophe-v14112022.pdf --- ## Southern Cross Pet Insurance — AcciPet (Accident-only) **Wording version:** 2023-12-01 · **Confidence:** verified · **Key:** `bilateral_conditions_rule` > We'll treat a health condition that affects more than one of the same body part as a pre-existing condition. This applies if your pet has a pre-existing condition that affects a body part that it has more than one of, like a leg, and it increases the risk of the other body part being injured. If the other body part has the same accidental injury, we'll treat it as a pre-existing condition and exclude it from cover under your policy. We'll do this even if the condition occurs in the other body part after the policy start date. This exclusion only applies if the pre-existing health condition increases the risk of another injury in future. It does not apply to accidental injuries that are isolated incidents and which don't increase the risk of the same injury occurring in another body part. **Endpoints:** - Structured facts: https://petinsurancecomparison.co.nz/api/product/southern-cross-pet/accipet/facts.json - Full wording: https://petinsurancecomparison.co.nz/api/product/southern-cross-pet/accipet/wording.md - Source PDF: https://www.southerncross.co.nz/society/-/media/Southern-Cross-Pet-Insurance/Member-collateral/Plan-documents/Policy-docs/AcciPet-Policy-Doc.pdf --- ## Southern Cross Pet Insurance — FreeCover (Trial) **Wording version:** 2025-09-01 · **Confidence:** verified · **Key:** `bilateral_conditions_rule` > We'll treat a health condition that affects more than one of the same body part as a pre-existing condition. This applies if your pet has a pre-existing condition that affects a body part that it has more than one of, like a leg or an eye. If the same health condition occurs in the other body part, we'll treat it as a pre-existing condition and exclude it from cover under your policy. We'll do this even if the condition occurs in the other body part after the policy start date. **Endpoints:** - Structured facts: https://petinsurancecomparison.co.nz/api/product/southern-cross-pet/freecover/facts.json - Full wording: https://petinsurancecomparison.co.nz/api/product/southern-cross-pet/freecover/wording.md - Source PDF: https://www.southerncross.co.nz/society/-/media/Southern-Cross-Pet-Insurance/Member-collateral/Plan-documents/Policy-docs/freecover-policy-Doc.pdf --- ## Southern Cross Pet Insurance — PetCare (Comprehensive) **Wording version:** 2023-12-01 · **Confidence:** verified · **Key:** `bilateral_conditions_rule` > We'll treat a health condition that affects more than one of the same body part as a pre-existing condition. This applies if your pet has a pre-existing condition that affects a body part that it has more than one of, like a leg or an eye. If the same health condition occurs in the other body part, we'll treat it as a pre-existing condition and exclude it from cover under your policy. We'll do this even if the condition occurs in the other body part after the policy start date. **Endpoints:** - Structured facts: https://petinsurancecomparison.co.nz/api/product/southern-cross-pet/petcare/facts.json - Full wording: https://petinsurancecomparison.co.nz/api/product/southern-cross-pet/petcare/wording.md - Source PDF: https://www.southerncross.co.nz/society/-/media/Southern-Cross-Pet-Insurance/Member-collateral/Plan-documents/Policy-docs/PetCare-Policy-Doc.pdf --- ## SPCA Pet Insurance — Big Stuff Cover **Wording version:** 2026-05-17 · **Confidence:** verified · **Key:** `bilateral_conditions_rule` > Any Condition affecting body parts of which the Pet has at least two, one on each side of the body (e.g. ears, eyes, knees and elbows). When applying a Benefit Limit or exclusion, a Bilateral Condition will be considered a single Condition. Example: If your Pet has had elbow dysplasia in the left elbow prior to the Commencement Date of the first Policy Period you are insured with us or during the applicable Waiting Period, which falls within the definition of Pre-existing Condition, subsequent elbow dysplasia in the right elbow will still be considered a Pre-existing Condition. **Endpoints:** - Structured facts: https://petinsurancecomparison.co.nz/api/product/spca-pet/big-stuff/facts.json - Full wording: https://petinsurancecomparison.co.nz/api/product/spca-pet/big-stuff/wording.md - Source PDF: https://www.spcapetinsurance.co.nz/documents/spca-pet-insurance-big-stuff-cover-policy-document.pdf --- ## SPCA Pet Insurance — The Works (Comprehensive) **Wording version:** 2026-05-17 · **Confidence:** verified · **Key:** `bilateral_conditions_rule` > Any Condition affecting body parts of which the Pet has at least two, one on each side of the body (e.g. ears, eyes, knees and elbows). When applying a Benefit Limit or exclusion, a Bilateral Condition will be considered a single Condition. Example: If Your Pet has had elbow dysplasia in the left elbow prior to the Commencement Date of the first Policy Period you are insured with us or during the applicable Waiting Period, which falls within the definition of Pre-existing Condition, subsequent elbow dysplasia in the right elbow will still be considered a Pre-existing Condition. **Endpoints:** - Structured facts: https://petinsurancecomparison.co.nz/api/product/spca-pet/the-works/facts.json - Full wording: https://petinsurancecomparison.co.nz/api/product/spca-pet/the-works/wording.md - Source PDF: https://www.spcapetinsurance.co.nz/documents/spca-pet-insurance-the-works-cover-policy-document.pdf --- ## Tower Pet Insurance — Pet Comprehensive + Essentials **Wording version:** 2026-05-18 · **Confidence:** verified · **Key:** `bilateral_conditions_rule` > The policy defines 'Condition' as: any injury or illness suffered by your pet, and for the purpose of this definition, any presentation of an illness with the same diagnosis, signs or symptoms, or resulting from the same disease process, regardless of the number of incidents or areas of your pet's body affected shall be considered a single condition (e.g. all occurrences of otitis (ear infection) will be classified as the same condition). No explicit bilateral condition rule is stated, but this definition implies both sides of a bilateral condition are treated as a single condition. **Endpoints:** - Structured facts: https://petinsurancecomparison.co.nz/api/product/tower-pet/pet-comprehensive-essentials/facts.json - Full wording: https://petinsurancecomparison.co.nz/api/product/tower-pet/pet-comprehensive-essentials/wording.md - Source PDF: https://www.tower.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Pet_Comprehensive_Essentials.pdf --- **9** of 11 indexed products have on-file cover language for this condition. **Canonical URL:** https://petinsurancecomparison.co.nz/conditions/cruciate-ligament-rupture/