Legal
We will not wait for the ombudsman, says Hiscox BI challenge lawyer
A lawyer advising pubs and clubs mulling legal action against Hiscox over rejected business interruption claims has said the group won’t wait for the Financial Ombudsman Service to process complaints before launching arbitration proceedings.
Private schools and Marsh dispute Ecclesiastical's denial of BI cover
Ecclesiastical’s rejection of business interruption claims relating to closures caused by coronavirus is being challenged by Marsh and an association of private schools, Post has learned.
Hospitality group advised by Mishcon de Reya plots action against insurers
Axa, China Taiping, RSA, Touchstone and Zurich have been named as potential group action targets by a hospitality business interruption action group.
Hiscox mulls capital raise
Hiscox has this morning confirmed it is considering raising equity among other options as it seeks to combat the Covid-19 impact.
ABI's Huw Evans talks Pandemic Re possibilities
Market discussions around Pandemic Re options are crucial and serve a "noble purpose", Huw Evans director general of the Association of British Insurers told Post, as he confirmed the trade body is in discussion with Lloyd's and anticipates an invitation…
MP urges insurers to do more as public 'very, very angry' over BI payouts
Exclusive: The insurance industry is heading towards “considerable damage” to its public standing due to its handling of business interruption insurance claims during the ongoing coronavirus crisis, Jonathan Edwards MP has warned.
Analysis: Constructing Pandemic Re
The insurance industry stands ready to participate in the creation of a Pandemic Re vehicle but opinions differ on how it would work.
Hiscox Action Group appoints top City law firm as it surpasses 200 members
The Hiscox Action Group, which now represents more than 200 claimants, has appointed City law firm Mishcon de Reya to handle its case.
Markel told to pay £16m damages in Braganza test dispute
A judge has ruled against Markel and ordered it to pay damages of £16m in a long-running dispute with lender UK Acorn Finance.
Nightlife trade body to coordinate claims against Hiscox on BI
The Night Time Industries Association has sought legal counsel on its members' rights on refused business interruption policies.
Analysis: Policyholders band together as BI group actions mount
Ecclesiastical, Hiscox, QBE and RSA could all face class actions from businesses that have had claims for losses from coronavirus-related closures rejected as policyholders group together and brokers also come under fire.
MP calls on government to force insurers to use dividends to pay coronavirus claims
Plaid Cymru MP Jonathan Edwards has tabled an Early Day Motion calling on the government to instruct insurers to put their dividends towards settling insurance claims resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Whiplash reforms pushed back into 2021
Whiplash reforms, including the implementation of the claims portal, have been pushed back to April 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Blog: Coronavirus business interruption insurance – devil is in the detail for Hiscox and others
Most businesses will not be insured for Covid-19 disruption and in many cases the wording is clear cut. But for others, the devil is in the detail and policy wordings suggest that insurers should cough up vital interim payments sooner rather than later.
Most Brits unaware of motor insurance gender ban or where it came from
Exclusive: The majority of UK consumers are not aware that insurers cannot use gender as a factor in pricing for motor insurance or where the ban came from, research commissioned by Post has shown.
Blog: History is on Hiscox's side as claimants threaten Covid-19 BI legal action, but will its brand suffer?
This week Hiscox publicly defended itself against accusations it is refusing to pay valid claims linked to Covid-19 as a coalition of policyholders threatened legal action. Post content director Jonathan Swift reflects on the history of insurance action…
Blog: Surviving the consequences of Covid-19
Malcolm Henké, head of Horwich Farrelly’s large and catastrophic injury group, provides a perspective on the potential challenges and opportunities that come with Covid-19 when looking at large and complex injury litigation.
Hiscox rejects 'Public Authority' clause interpretation as coalition of BI claimants threaten class action
Hiscox faces a potential class-action lawsuit from policyholders that have had business interruption claims rejected.
Davies promotes ex-Foil president James Heath to group chief risk officer
Davies has appointed James Heath to the newly created role of group chief risk officer.
Personal injury and insurance lawyers agree best practice for Covid-19 crisis
Lawyers on the insurer and claimant sides have agreed to protocols and practices to help mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and allow for access to justice.
Barclays' doctor assault victims denied compensation as court clarifies liability for 'independent contractor'
The Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that Barclays Bank is not liable for the alleged sexual assault of more than 100 patients by a doctor carrying out medicals on the bank’s behalf.
Supreme Court dismisses hull underwriters' attempt to recover $22m paid out for deliberately sunken ship
The Supreme Court has dismissed an attempt led by Aspen to recover $22m paid out by hull underwriters following the sinking of a ship in 2013 that was later ruled to have been deliberate.
Morrisons data leak judgment of ‘limited comfort’ to businesses and their insurers
Insurance lawyers have responded to today’s Supreme Court ruling which found supermarket Morrisons is not ‘vicariously liable’ for a large-scale data leak by a disgruntled employee, saying it might be a relief for corporates but that it doesn’t signal…
Interview: Lisa Bartlett, Crawford & Company
Having spent her career working for brokers and then an insurer, Crawford & Company’s new UK and Ireland president Lisa Bartlett speaks to Jonathan Swift about why she has now thrown herself into claims management and loss adjusting, and how she is…