Business interruption
Hiscox and action group arbitration to commence following court agreement
Hiscox has agreed to an expedited arbitration process in its dispute with the Hiscox Action Group, a coalition of policyholders that is contesting the insurer’s rejection of coronavirus-related business interruption claims.
Zurich UK reports £140m of Covid-19 claims as it posts H1 loss
Zurich’s UK general insurance business faced £140m in Covid-19 related claims across travel, event cancellation and business interruption lines in the first half of 2020.
Second quarter performance pushes Ageas UK COR below 100%
Ageas UK has reported a post-tax profit of £22.8m for the first half of 2020 reversing a loss of £2.7m in the first quarter.
Amanda Blanc promises to shake up Aviva
It is abundantly clear that “meaningful change” is needed to unlock Aviva’s potential, according to CEO Amanda Blanc.
Business enquiries down 14% on last year at Allianz
While market conditions are slowly recovering in the wake of the coronavirus lockdown, the volume of new enquiries for commercial policies remain substantially lower than were last year, according to Allianz Insurance.
Axa offers £50 compensation after walking back BI cover confirmation
Axa has offered a UK policyholder £50 in compensation after rejecting a business interruption claim it had initially indicated would be covered.
FCA warns of action on BI claims deductions
The Financial Conduct Authority has warned insurers making deductions to non-damage business interruption claim payments based on government payouts that it will intervene if firms do not meet its expectations and treat customers fairly.
No evidence of reputation hit to business, says Hiscox global retail CEO
Hiscox has not seen a slowdown in business as a result of its high-profile involvement in disputes over coronavirus business interruption claims, the insurer’s global retail CEO Ben Walter told Post.
Hiscox bulks up Covid claims hit estimate as group faces loss
Hiscox swung into a loss for the first half of 2020 as it increased its Covid-19 claims hit estimate.
NFU Mutual rejects accusation it misbehaved by deducting government grants from payouts
NFU Mutual has defended itself against claims by self-catering accommodation businesses that it is unfairly deducting the value of government grants from coronavirus-related payouts.
Insurance Covid-cast: Grumpy old insurance execs - Bunker, Cooter, Hanks and Smith on trading through a hard market
For the 36th episode of Post and Insurance Age’s Covid-Cast video series we gathered together an esteemed panel of ‘grumpy old insurance execs’ to talk about how to trade through a hard market, something many might have not experienced before.
BI court case judges aiming for draft judgment in mid-September
Lord Justice Flaux has confirmed the middle of September as the target date for a draft judgment in the business interruption court case brought by the Financial Conduct Authority against UK insurers.
ABI seeks to 'tell the full story' on industry’s Covid response: Huw Evans
The industry should not shy away from the business interruption insurance issue but equally it is not “the be all and end all of the Covid crisis”, according to Huw Evans, director general of the Association of British Insurers.
QC accuses FCA of failure to show causal connection between government action and the disturbance to the insured businesses
Insurers argued the Financial Conduct Authority is “unable to demonstrate” any meaningful connection between the action taken by the UK government on a national basis in response to Covid-19 pandemic and the locality of firms’ premises, as the court…
Insurers’ QC claims FCA is 'forcing a square peg into a round hole' in BI test case
Providers argue regulator’s case doesn’t work because access to premises was not prevented during pandemic as lawyers for Hiscox, Ecclesiastical, MS Amlin, Arch Insurance and Zurich make their submissions.
Hiscox QC accuses FCA of 'tearing up the rule book on causation'
Jonathan Gaisman, QC, branded parts of the Financial Conduct Authority’s arguments as camouflage, a misuse of language and “blurring every divisible thing into one amorphous mass” as he defended Hiscox in the ongoing business interruption test court case.
Swiss Re pegs H1 Covid-19 losses at $2.5bn
Swiss Re has predicted $2.5bn (£1.96bn) of pre-tax Covid-19 losses in the first six months of 2020 will drive its half year results to a $1.1bn loss.
Updated: RSA QC lambasts ‘clear misuse’ of the word ‘peril’ by action group
Representing RSA, David Turner QC, accused the Hospitality Insurance Group Action of “clear misuse” of the word ‘peril’ on the on the fourth day of the hearing of the Financial Conduct Authority’s Covid-19 business interruption test case.
QC calls on court to treat insurers fairly
Insurers dived into the causation debate during today's proceedings, slamming the Financial Conduct Authority’s approach to the ‘but for’ test as the business interruption case continued in the High Court.
Hiscox blasted by QC over policy interpretation in FCA BI case
The arguments set out by Hiscox in its defence over non-payment of business interruption arising from Covid-19 are too narrow, unrealistic and uncommercial according to the Hiscox Action Group.
Action group brands insurers' focus on lack of specific pandemic cover 'a diversionary tactic'
Insurers’ repeated argument that policies were not intended to cover pandemics has been described as “a diversionary tactic” on the third day of the Financial Conduct Authority’s business interruption test case.
FCA picks apart insurer reliance on Hurricane Katrina judgment in BI test case
On the second day of the Financial Conduct Authority’s business interruption test case, the regulator’s lawyers argued there are key issues with the Hurricane Katrina Orient Express judgment insurers are expected to lean on during the case.
Munich Re adds €700m to Covid impact total
Munich Re was hit by €700m (£631.7m) of Covid-19 related reinsurance losses in the second quarter taking its year to date figure to €1.5bn, the reinsurer has revealed.
FCA versus insurers as test case showdown begins
It was today confirmed up to 370,000 policyholders may be affected by the Financial Conduct Authority's High Court case, which aims to decide on the validity of business interruption cover during the coronavirus outbreak.