The COVID-19 pandemic has created unforeseen challenges that are rocking businesses of all types.
Today, the insurance industry in the United Kingdom is one of the biggest casualties. It's currently in flux, and professionals on both sides are looking to rectify losses.
What should you expect in the aftermath?
Here's what you should know about the United Kingdom insurance market and how COVID-19 is changing it.
Insurance Companies Are Being Taken to Court Over Claims
In the fallout of COVID-19, insurance businesses have been taken over to court over claims issues. Several companies have gotten their claims denied following the pandemic.
Bars, restaurants, salons, and all sorts of other businesses had to shut down, yet they received pushback from insurers on whether COVID-19 qualified as a business interruption.
The nature of the virus and its response left room for ambiguity, which created much of the controversy. Most business insurance policies cover companies against direct damages. However, matters like travel bans and governmental shutdowns for the quarantine don't necessarily denote direct damages.
Like many industries, these happenings revealed that the insurance industry was unprepared for such an event, and the market is left to pick up the pieces and figure out a new way of doing business to prevent these matters in the future.
The largest insurance providers in the United Kingdom are currently being taken to court by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and the impact of how these responses play out will be monumental. The ramifications will have a trickle-down effect on both business owners and consumers.
Premiums Could Be on the Rise Due to Market Conditions
When market conditions are out of whack, the consumer is often left picking up the tab. The insurance industry is no different, as the market tries to adjust.
Experts forecast that premiums will increase for most companies when they renew their policies. You can also expect to see certain policies growing in demand so that business owners feel more comfortable with their company's protection measures.
Understand the Areas of Business That Are Affected at the Moment
There are a number of business areas that continue to be affected in the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.
For one, more people are working from home, so you can expect automobile claims to trend downward. Conversely, companies have to improve their information technology (IT) infrastructure while working from home, which can lead to more cybersecurity claims.
Companies in all fields will need to make provisions for lockdown measures, as we're likely not out of the woods when it comes to quarantine measures.
Learn How the Insurance Market is Shifting During the Pandemic
These tips lay out how the insurance market has been changed in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Every country is going through it, as are businesses in all different sectors.
No matter what field you're in, it's important to make changes and adjustments to keep your company insured. Take time to connect with us to learn more about our claims management, risk control, and other professional services.