Legal
Average property damage claim cost more than doubled in past decade
The average cost of property damage claims has more than doubled in the past 10 years, with pay-outs totalling £4bn per year, according to research from law firm BLM.
Legal Update: Time for insurers to get ready
A growing number of cyber incidents means insurers must prepare strategies to deal with a range of new business interruption liabilities.
Claimant law firm billed £27k as Allianz PI claim is struck out
A claimant solicitors firm has been ordered to pay £27,000 of defendant legal costs after a personal injury claim lodged with Allianz was struck out by a court.
SRA consults on minimum terms changes to PII policies
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is consulting on technical changes to the minimum terms and conditions that need to be included in professional indemnity insurance policies.
MoJ proposes capping CMCs' PPI fees
The Ministry of Justice has proposed capping fees charged by claims management companies handling mis-sold payment protection insurance claims, in a consultation launching today (15 February).
Gallagher pleased with injunction success
Arthur J Gallagher has said it is pleased with a court order granted in the Portsoken case, which it stated ensures "valuable and confidential information" belonging to the firm is located and deleted from Portsoken's systems.
Blog: Enterprise Bill may drive PI for insurers
Other professional services providers take out professional indemnity cover but should insurers now be looking for similar protection?
Bluefin lodges High Court injunction against ex-CEO Bruce and GRP
Bluefin has suspended two current members of staff and obtained an injunction in the High Court against its former CEO Mike Bruce and specialist investment group Global Risk Partners.
Four Birmingham ghost brokers sentenced
Four Birmingham men have been sentenced after a ghost broker insurance scam was uncovered by Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department detectives.
Further defendants added in Gallagher court case
Arthur J Gallagher has expanded its legal proceedings against Alex Skriptchenkov and Portsoken Limited to include five more defendants.
Blog: A quiet end to ‘average'?
There are differing views as to whether no longer applying average is a wise move likely to mean more business or will it result in higher claims costs?
IFB joins SRA and insurer talks over 'consistent' approach to claimant firm fraud
High level discussions are taking place between the insurance industry and the Solicitors Regulation Authority towards establishing a consolidated process for submitting evidence of fraud perpetrated by claimant law firms.
Blog: Let's take low speed impact cases out of the ‘too hard to do' drawer
In court, the credibility of your witness is everything. But in low speed impact claims, the reliability of expert witness evidence is akin to the Wild West. The true facts of a collision are too rarely investigated and expert testimony is frequently…
Fundamentally dishonest pair added to IFR over £50k Axa claim
A fraudulent induced accident claim against Axa worth almost £50,000 has been thrown out after a Birmingham County Court judge concluded that the claimants were fundamentally dishonest in their testimony.
Legal Update: A brave new world
The Insurance Act will demand a change of underwriting culture to reduce the risk of litigation.
North of the Border: To decree or not to decree
A convicted party has a statutory right to prove they did not commit the offence they were convicted of.
Elite to stop writing solicitors' PII as falling rates take a toll
Unrated carrier Elite Insurance is withdrawing from the English and Welsh solicitors’ professional indemnity insurance market.
Hefty FCA fines highlight importance of delegated authority chain controls
The £15.5m of fines handed to individuals and firms involved in the collapse of several unrated insurers operating in the solicitors' professional indemnity market have highlighted the need for all parties involved in the delegated authority chain to…
Naming of storms to potentially impact apportionment of claims
The Met Office’s new policy of naming storms that make landfall in the UK could have a significant impact on the apportionment of claims between direct insurers and their reinsurers in the excess of loss market.
Towergate appoints Stephenson Harwood partner as general counsel
Towergate has appointed Geoff Gouriet to its executive committee as general counsel.
LV boss O'Roarke to become chairman of Horwich Farrelly
Outgoing LV general insurance managing director John O’Roarke has been appointed chairman of insurance industry law firm Horwich Farrelly.
Marine expert Lovell joins Reed Smith in Singapore
Richard Lovell has left his role as head of shipping and managing partner at Ince & Co. to join Reed Smith.
Greater exposure for insurers following 'sexting' case
A legal expert has warned that the threshold for a successful civil ‘sexting’ claim appears extremely low, following a recent High Court case, and that insurers will be impacted.
Claimant law firm ordered to pay defendant's costs in landmark case
The solicitors acting on behalf of a fraudulent claimant have been ordered to pay all of the defendant bus company’s legal costs in a landmark case heard at Gateshead County Court.