Radio 4 Moneybox program on Saturday contains an article about a little-known agreement between insurers regarding travel insurance claims, meaning that a right to your travel insurance could affect your content extension premium. In a number of cases, insurers have tried to avoid paying premiums. One such example, Bovis Construction Ltd/Commercial Union Assurance Co plc [2001] 1 Lloyd`s Rep 416 illustrated the complexity of these disputes. In that case, a dispute was reached as a result of a management contract entered into by Bovis and his client Rosehaugh in September 1988. Bovis was responsible for the construction of an apartment building and agreed to remain responsible for the defects for a period of 12 months after the completion of the project. During this period, a flood valued at $310,000 caused extensive damage from an opening of cables on the ground that had not been properly sealed during construction. A moneybox auditor had enrolled in the program after claiming a right to his travel insurance with Saga. While filling out the application form, he discovered that after obtaining information about his bank account, his home insurer and even the details. For example, Sagas insurers “could receive a premium” because bank accounts and home insurance often include an element of travel insurance coverage.
He felt that this was not justified because he had paid his bonus to Saga and expected them to take care of it and not to “dig around the attempt to make money from third parties”. Fisher Scoggins Waters is a London-based law firm with an expert in construction, manufacturing and engineering. If you have questions about dual insurance or assessment on construction contracts or if you need legal advice in another area, call us on 0207 993 6960. Saga stated that the agreement meant that obtaining a contribution from other insurers should not affect premiums with these other insurers. As the Bovis case shows, contribution issues can be very complex and result in costly legal invoices when lawyers are to be consulted to get rid of the case. While double insurance may seem comforting at the beginning of a massive construction project, the reality is that one policy per issue can be much easier to manage if you ever have to make a claim.
