L&G, Heath Lambert and Unum defend shipping company's legal action

Legal & General, Unum, and Heath Lambert Consulting are facing a legal action worth over £450,000 following a dispute over a health insurance claim.

The claim, brought by Inchcape Shipping Services, relates to an alleged refusal by the insurers to pay compensation to an injured Inchcape employee and Heath Lambert's alleged negligence in arranging continuity of cover.

Legal & General (L&G) provided permanent health insurance cover to Inchcape until 21 January 2001, with Unum taking over cover from that point.

The claim alleges that both L&G and Unum failed to pay out under the policies.

Inchape also alleges that Heath Lambert Consulting failed in its duties to arrange appropriate cover.

The company argues that if there was no cover for the injuries to its employee "such absence of cover was caused by negligence and/or breach of duty by Heath Lambert".

The £450,000 claimed is made up of payments due to date for the injured employee, future compensation payments, as well as damages and interest.

A spokesman for Heath Lambert said the company would be defending the claim "very, very strongly".

L&G said it had received the claim but that it was too early in the proceedings to comment.

Unum declined to comment on the case.

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