With Autumn now upon us, it is an important time to check and clean out your gutters and downpipes to avoid the chance of water entering your home or business. In a recent check I was staggered to find a plant had been growing in the rain head in one of our downpipes. I also found that leaf guards that we had fitted to keep […]
Burst flexi hoses are a major cause of losses in homes and residential strata.
Yesterday, I posted an article on lithium batteries in e-scooters which is an area of interest in our risk management division. Today I turn my attention to losses resulting from burst flexi pipes. The reason for this is that the frequency and severity of the losses from burst flexi pipes is increasing, particularly in residential strata but also in free standing homes. Steve Manning prepared […]
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 […]
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 […]
Glad to see that the Federal Government is cracking down on Subscription Traps.
I read an article by McCullough Robertson explaining that Treasury have released draft legislation on 9th February 2026, proposing amendments to the Australian Consumer Law which introduce a new general prohibition on unfair trading practices and specific obligations to address unfair subscription practices, requiring businesses to simplify cancellation processes and provide timely notices of renewal, among others. The article explained that consultation closed on 23 […]
Reflecting on a claim
Last Thursday, I posted an article on the nightclub fire in Switzerland. Then on Friday, I posted a couple of thoughts triggered by that fire. Watching the video of people filming the fire starting sent shivers through me thinking that many of them most likely perished in that fire. It also brought back a liability claim that I investigated more than 10 years ago which […]