The Insurance & Savings Ombudsman has found breaches by an insurer of the Fair Insurance Code due to a delay by an insurer in dealing with an insured’s claim.  In March 2019 the insured’s house was burgled and windows broken to gain entry.  The insured made a claim under the contents policy for the loss.  In June 2019 the insured chased up the insurer as to when his windows would be fixed.  The insurer then stated that he would need to make a claim under the house policy for the damage to the window and would have to pay a separate excess under the house policy.

The insurer admitted that it had not adhered to the time requirements of the Fair Insurance Code.  The Ombudsman found that the delay was a breach of code, but did not bring the industry into disrepute, because it arose from a misunderstanding rather than a deliberate or negligent delay.




Alan Knowsley
Insurance Lawyer
Wellington