Last night was the 10th Mansfield Awards for Claims Excellence held at the Establishment Ballroom in Sydney. The not for profit event in support of the Amal Mulia Orphanage for children with special needs was sponsored by Envest, Johns Lyng Group, Munich RE, Ignite Fire Investigations and LMI Group. The night was dedicated to two exceptional professionals that sadly left us this year, Tim Wedlock […]
Journal Article Examines Impact of Residential Fire Sprinklers on E-Scooter Fires Caused by Thermal Runaway of Lithium-Ion Batteries
Due to the number of fatal and or serious fires involving e-scooters, we at LMI have been doing a lot of research around the risk posed by lithium batteries with the aim of producing a comprehensive course to help the industry and the public understand this risk. On a personal note, other than phones and tablets, I do not allow any charging of lithium batteries […]
Question on Notice of Cancellation – War and Strikes Risks (only).
With the outbreak of hostilities in and around the Middle East many insurers have exercised the War Cancellation Clause in their hull or cargo policies. This has prompted a number of questions being put to me as Insured’s and Brokers were naturally disappointed. First up, I would explain that this is not a new development. While the exclusion of war risks (“Free of Capture and […]
ASIC Launches Financial Complaints Data Dashboard.
ASIC did a media release today which announces the launch of a financial complaints data dashboard. The media release reads: Australians now have unprecedented access to consumer complaints data following the launch of ASIC’s new interactive dashboard. The Internal Dispute Resolution (IDR) data dashboard enables users to compare the complaints reported by individual financial firms for the first time, including their handling of complaints associated with specific […]
A case of loyalty being rewarded by an insurer with compassion.
Last week I posted the story of an insured who had inadvertently allowed their insurance to lapse last October. They only found out that this was the case when they attempted to lodge a claim when a stolen car drove into the front of their home. The Insured’s sister contacted the insurance to arrange for insurance to be reinstated on the house, so it was […]
A costly oversight – make sure your insurance is current
I received one of those calls yesterday at around 4.50pm that make you ill in the stomach. Obviously 100 times worse for the owner of the home. What occurred a stolen car was driven into the home before the thief, who lost control of the car, ran off on foot before anyone could stop him. The only good news was that the husband who is […]
Smoke alarms in the home – the regulatory requirements are inadequate
In view of the engagement with our community, following our analysis of the Swiss nightclub fire, Terry Jackson and I explore how we believe the current regulatory requirements in some jurisdictions are inadequate to protect the life of the occupiers. I hope that most people, and certainly those of us in the general insurance industry are aware of the legal requirement to have smoke alarms […]
Question on Co-Insurance after a total loss
I received the following question from a broker earlier this week. It is a question that I am asked from time to time so I thought I would share my answer with you. Hello Allan, Hope this message finds you well. A quick question if you don’t mind, please. Under an industry ISR Mark IV wording, would the co-insurance/average clause apply in the event of […]
Insurers at their best at a shocking time
General Insurance is often demonised even before it has a chance to mess up after a natural disaster. Over the years, I have seen many heartwarming cases where insurers have gone out of their way to help customers and their communities in their hour of need. It was for this reason that I worked to help create the Mansfield Awards for Claims Excellence coming up […]
Live safely in public places, do not be a follower take the lead – lessons from the Switzerland fire.
The underlying message of this important post is to never assume you are safe in crowded places, Always, know, in advance, at least one alternative emergency exit door and / or pathway to safety and take/lead others. The horrific fire in Switzerland at the “Le Constellation” nightclub where 41 young people lost their lives, some while filming the fire and the equally tragic shootings in […]