Fire, Natural Catastrophes, Faulty Workmanship Top The List Of Business Insurance Claims

A fire at a busy warehouse leaves a company struggling to replace its buffer stock; a ransomware attack paralyzes a company’s IT systems; the use of industrial adhesives in manufacturing results in a costly product recall: every day companies around the globe, together with their insurers, experience losses, in multiple forms, in the millions of dollars. Over the past five years, fire and explosion, natural catastrophes and faulty workmanship or maintenance have been the major causes of loss by value of insurance claims, according to the Global Claims Review 2022 from Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS).

‘Insurance claims from companies have become more severe over the past five years due to factors such as higher property and asset values, more complex supply chains and the growing concentration of exposures in one location, such as in natural catastrophe-prone areas,’ says AGCS Chief Claims Officer and Board Member Thomas Sepp. ‘The future does not look brighter anytime soon. Companies and their insurers have shown resilience to weather the loss impact of the pandemic, but the ongoing war in Ukraine, a spike in the cost and frequency of business interruption losses and the sustained elevated level of cyber claims are creating new challenges. At the same time, the top two causes of claims, fires and natural hazards, remain significant loss drivers for companies. Last but not least, the impact of soaring inflation around the world will bring further pressure on claims costs.’