From Huw Evans, ABI Director-General:
“Insurers have supported this fast-track court process led by the FCA to help bring clarity for customers and we welcome the speed with which the court has delivered a ruling. The judgment divides evenly between insurers and policyholders on the main issues. The national lockdown was an unprecedented situation that posed understandable questions of interpretation for some business insurance contracts.
“Insurers always regret any contract dispute with their customers and will continue to reflect on feedback from recent events. We recognise this continues to be a difficult time for many businesses, small and large, and for society as a whole. That is why insurers have made a range of commitments to help both businesses and individual customers through the crisis and why the industry expects to pay out over £1.7bn in Covid-19 claims.
“This is a complex judgment spanning 162 pages and 19 policy wordings and it will take a little time for those involved in the court case to understand what it means and consider any appeals. Individual insurers will be analysing the judgment, engaging with the regulator, taking account of the appeal process and keeping their customers informed in the period ahead.”
-ENDS-
Notes for Editors
Enquiries to:
Malcolm Tarling 020 7216 7410 Mobile: 07776 147667
Laura Dawson 020 7216 7338 Mobile: 0772 5245838
Sarah Aspinall 020 7216 7412 Mobile: 0772 5245297
- The Association of British Insurers is the voice of the UK’s world leading insurance and long-term savings industry.
A productive, inclusive and thriving sector, we are an industry that provides peace of mind to households and businesses across the UK and powers the growth of local and regional economies by enabling trade, risk taking, investment and innovation. - Skype and FaceTime are available for broadcast
- More news and information from the ABI is available on our web site, abi.org.uk.
- The full judgment can be found here.