5, 000 still homeless after floods
More than 5,000 households are still displaced by last summer’s floods, according to estimates by local authorities. The actual number could be higher because some people may have not notified the authorities of their position. The problems have been exacerbated by a shortage of skilled workers. The floods generated £3bn in insurance claims, the ABI has estimated.
Brit builds Northern Ireland team
Brit Insurance has established a presence in Northern Ireland after recruiting two underwriters.
Lawrence Burgess, who joined Brit after 21 years at Zurich, will become motor fleet underwriter, while Joe Murphy has been appointed property & combined package underwriter, after spending 15 years with RSA. Both will be based in Belfast.
Brit made the appointments as part of its strategy to grow its share of the Northern Ireland market.
Personal injury lobby at parliament
The ABI, CBI and Citizens Advice were to hold a parliamentary reception on Tuesday to call for the government to introduce its proposals for reforming personal injury compensation without delay.
The ABI’s director general Stephen Haddrill was due to say: “Our compensation system is failing many claimants. It is too slow, riddled with high legal costs and undervalues rehabilitation. Insurers want to pay compensation and arrange rehabilitation faster than the current system allows. Personal injury claims following a motor accident take on average two years to settle, with three years on average for workplace claims. This is unacceptable.
“The government has grasped the need for reform. We look forward to implementation of its proposals without further delay. Every day without change is another day of unnecessary delay for claimants.”.
Clarification
Bridge Insurance Brokers was formerly a client of Insurecom and not Sirius as reported in Insurance Times (Bridge switches to Acturis, News 28 Feb).)
