Upheld: unfair claims handling, failure to provide emergency assistance as per policy terms complaint against Liverpool Victoria Insurance Company Limited trading as Allianz

Decision detail

Summary

Mrs D claimed on her home emergency insurance with LV when her home electrics tripped in May 2025. LV's electrician attended the same day but failed to identify the source of the fault and declined to investigate further, claiming the work was not covered under the policy. Mrs D appointed her own electrician who identified a faulty socket on the first visit and completed repairs on a second visit. The ombudsman found that LV's electrician should have spent longer investigating to identify the fault, and that LV should have offered paid-for assistance as required by the policy. The ombudsman upheld the complaint and ordered LV to reimburse the first electrician invoice (£180), pay 8% interest, and pay £150 compensation for distress and inconvenience caused by the service shortfalls and avoidable delays.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that LV failed to provide emergency assistance as defined in the policy. While LV responded promptly, its electrician did not adequately investigate the problem to identify the source of the fault, which the ombudsman's own submissions acknowledged. The policy requires LV to either resolve the emergency, offer a temporary/permanent repair, or offer paid-for assistance if the claim is not covered. LV did none of these. The ombudsman determined that LV's electrician should have spent longer investigating, and that once the fault was identified and some sockets restored to working order, LV's responsibility would have been fulfilled. The second invoice related to repairs to the faulty socket due to wear and tear, which is not covered. However, LV's failure to properly investigate and offer paid-for assistance caused avoidable delays and inconvenience.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website