Partially upheld: Home insurance claim disputes complaint against Admiral Insurance (Gibraltar) Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Miss T complained about Admiral Insurance's handling of a motor insurance claim following a road traffic accident in August 2023 where she was struck from behind at a roundabout. She alleged Admiral failed to properly investigate the accident by not securing CCTV evidence or following up police enquiries, experienced inconsistent communication, repeated delays, and was passed between multiple claims handlers. The ombudsman found Admiral's service fell below expected standards but concluded that earlier evidence gathering would not have materially changed the outcome, as there was no evidence CCTV existed and the panel solicitor's decision not to pursue the claim was based on multiple factors including limited vehicle damage. The complaint was upheld in part with £300 compensation awarded for distress and inconvenience.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

While Admiral's handling of the claim fell below expected standards with inconsistent communication, delays, and failure to proactively pursue CCTV and police evidence once liability was disputed, the ombudsman was not satisfied on the available evidence that obtaining CCTV would have materially changed the claim outcome. No evidence demonstrated CCTV actually existed in the area, and even if it had, it may not have been operational, focused on the incident location, or supported Miss T's account. The panel solicitor's decision not to pursue the claim was based on multiple factors including limited vehicle damage and evidential difficulties with the personal injury claim, not solely on the absence of CCTV. Therefore, while service failures occurred, they did not cause the ultimate claim outcome.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website