header-logo header-logo

24 February 2021
Issue: 7922 / Categories: Legal News , Insurance / reinsurance , Covid-19
printer mail-detail

Pandemic pay-outs ‘unprecedented’

Insurers expect to pay £2bn for COVID-19 business interruption claims, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) has revealed.

A further £477m pay-out is predicted for life insurance, income protection, travel and general claims.

The data was collected from individual firms by the ABI in mid-late January.

Huw Evans, ABI director general, said: ‘The COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented in its impact and will be one of the biggest insured events of recent times.’

In January, the Supreme Court clarified whether certain clauses commonly used in business interruption policies would pay out for policyholders affected by the pandemic, in a test case brought by the Financial Conduct Authority, FCA v Arch & Ors [2021] UKSC 1. This opened the gates to payment of claims for tens of thousands of small business owners. 

MOVERS & SHAKERS

NLJ Career Profile: Nikki Bowker, Devonshires

NLJ Career Profile: Nikki Bowker, Devonshires

Nikki Bowker, head of litigation and dispute resolution at Devonshires, on career resilience, diversity in law and channelling Elle Woods when the pressure is on

Ellisons—Sarah Osborne

Ellisons—Sarah Osborne

Leasehold enfranchisement specialist joins residential property team

DWF—Chris Air

DWF—Chris Air

Firm strengthens commercial team in Manchester with partner appointment

NEWS
Contract damages are usually assessed at the date of breach—but not always. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian Gascoigne, knowledge lawyer at LexisNexis, examines the growing body of cases where courts have allowed later events to reshape compensation
The Supreme Court has restored ‘doctrinal coherence’ to unfair prejudice litigation, writes Natalie Quinlivan, partner at Fieldfisher LLP, in this week' NLJ
The High Court’s refusal to recognise a prolific sperm donor as a child’s legal parent has highlighted the risks of informal conception arrangements, according to Liam Hurren, associate at Kingsley Napley, in NLJ this week
The Court of Appeal’s decision in Mazur may have settled questions around litigation supervision, but the profession should not simply ‘move on’, argues Jennifer Coupland, CEO of CILEX, in this week's NLJ
A simple phrase like ‘subject to references’ may not protect employers as much as they think. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian Smith, barrister and emeritus professor of employment law at UEA, analyses recent employment cases showing how conditional job offers can still create binding contracts
back-to-top-scroll