Not upheld: unfair claim rejection based on policy exclusion complaint against Admiral Insurance (Gibraltar) Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Ms K and Mr R complained that Admiral unfairly rejected a theft claim on their motor insurance policy. The car was stolen on 20 November 2025 after Mr R left it unoccupied, unlocked, with the key in the ignition and engine running outside a block of flats. Admiral declined the claim based on a policy exclusion for vehicles left unlocked or unsecured. The ombudsman found that Admiral had adequately disclosed the exclusion through the Insurance Product Information Document and that the exclusion was properly applied. Although Mr R was only 11 feet away, he was not in a position to deter the thief, and cold weather did not constitute special circumstances. The complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that Admiral adequately drew the exclusion to Ms K's attention through the Insurance Product Information Document. The car was left unoccupied and unlocked with keys in the ignition and engine running, which directly triggered the policy exclusion. Although Mr R was only 11 feet away, he was not in a position to deter or prevent the theft as he did not see the thief enter the vehicle. The ombudsman rejected the argument that cold weather constituted special circumstances justifying the breach of the exclusion condition. Therefore, Admiral was entitled to rely on the exclusion and reject the claim.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website