Penny Black’s Insurance Week - 17 April 2014

At Post’s Claims Club, Axa’s head of liability claims John Dacey said that anecdotally, insurers are witnessing a rise in claimants representing themselves.

Nothing unexpected, Penny thought, considering the cuts to legal aid introduced just over a year ago. However, Dacey said, that doesn’t mean it’s all amateur hour over at the courts, or that insurers are off the hook for expensive legal fees – some claimants are bringing slightly more experience to the table. “A colleague was telling me that their last two direct claimants were partners in claimant law firms,” Dacey told the claims crowd. “They were trying to charge us their full hourly rates!”

TV presenter Matthew Wright this week opined that mobile phone cover may not be worth its cost. “£500 notes later and I have a new phone...No insurance? After 20 years without incident I reckon I’m still £3k better off than if I’d paid it!” Wright tweeted. Penny is no good at fag-packet maths, but a quick internet search suggests Wright could cover his iPhone – for he certainly tweets from one – for £4 a month, which after 20 years would be £960. This being just over a quarter of his £3500 estimate, Penny can only presume Mr Wright is just over a quarter of a valid insurance commentator.

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• Topics
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