Not upheld: Home insurance claim disputes complaint against Accelerant Insurance Europe SA/NV UK Branch

Decision detail

Summary

O, a limited company operating a pub/restaurant, claimed for water damage in March 2025 and complained about delays in claim handling by Accelerant Insurance. O argued that despite providing documentation by June 2025, the loss adjusters did not visit until October 2025, causing business disruption and requesting compensation of approximately £500. Accelerant maintained that not all necessary information was received until 18 July 2025 and offered £100 for a three-week delay in appointing loss adjusters. The ombudsman upheld Accelerant's position, finding that the firm was entitled to the information it requested before proceeding and that the only identifiable delay was approximately three weeks, for which the £100 offer was reasonable. The complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that Accelerant was entitled to request and receive necessary information before appointing loss adjusters, and that not all required information was provided until 18 July 2025. The only identifiable delay attributable to Accelerant was the approximately three-week period between 18 July 2025 and early August 2025 when loss adjusters were appointed. The ombudsman rejected O's arguments about longer delays and business losses, noting that O had reopened in April 2025 and there was no reliable evidence of customer losses resulting from the delay. The ombudsman also determined that matters occurring after the final response letter (including the settlement amount and premium increase) fell outside the scope of this complaint.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website