Upheld: unfair application of policy exclusion and claim denial complaint against Admiral Insurance (Gibraltar) Limited
Financial Ombudsman decision DRN-6184284 of 2026-06-02T00:00:00+00:00. unfair application of policy exclusion and claim denial complaint against Admiral Insurance (Gibraltar) Limited. Outcome: Upheld.
Decision detail
| Reference | DRN-6184284 |
|---|---|
| Decision date | 2026-06-02T00:00:00+00:00 |
| Firm | Admiral Insurance (Gibraltar) Limited |
| Product | car insurance |
| Claim type | unfair application of policy exclusion and claim denial |
| Outcome | Upheld |
| Remedy | Admiral must deal with Miss K's claim under the remaining terms and conditions of the policy and pay £350 compensation for distress and inconvenience within 28 days, plus interest at 8% per annum if paid late |
Summary
Miss K's car was damaged while parked through a meet and greet service at an airport. Admiral declined her claim applying an exclusion for vehicles driven by unauthorised persons. The ombudsman upheld the complaint, finding Admiral had not proven the damage was caused by an unauthorised driver rather than other possible causes. Admiral was required to deal with the claim and pay £350 compensation for the distress and inconvenience caused by its unfair claim handling.
The Ombudsman's reasoning
The ombudsman found that Admiral had not reasonably demonstrated that the damage could only have been caused in circumstances excluded from cover. Without evidence showing the damage was specifically caused by an unauthorised driver, Admiral could not fairly refuse to deal with the claim, as other scenarios such as damage while parked were possible. The compensation of £350 was found to be in line with similar cases and fairly reflected the distress and inconvenience caused.
How this compares
| Group | Decisions | Uphold rate |
|---|---|---|
| Admiral Insurance (Gibraltar) Limited, all decisions | 1,925 | 44% |
Source
Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website