Insurance

The High Court has held that insurance companies are not entitled to recover monies under the Recovery of Benefits and Assistance Scheme where they have settled personal injuries cases outside of court. It was held that a “consent settlement order” was not an “order of the court&rd

The High Court has dismissed an appeal from an insurance provider against a decision of the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO) that it acted unreasonably by declining to cover losses to a business arising from the Covid-19 pandemic. Hiscox SA had brought a statutory appeal claiming tha

Calls to reform the insurance market for thatched heritage buildings will be considered by an Oireachtas committee this afternoon. The joint committee on public petitions will discuss a petition brought by Katie McNelis with support from the Thatch Insurance Action Group.

A report assessing the impact of a new ban on "price walking" in the Irish motor and home insurance markets will be produced by the Central Bank within six months. Under regulations which came into effect from 1 July 2022, Ireland became the first EU country to ban price walking, whereby renewing cu

The merger of global law firm Clyde & Co and UK-headquartered BLM has been finalised, with BLM's offices in Dublin, Belfast and Derry now operating under the Clyde & Co brand. The combined firm has global revenues of over £700 million per year, a headcount of over 5,000 and offices in

A niche firm specialising in insurance, commercial litigation and dispute resolution across multiple sectors has been launched in Dublin by principal Ian Crotty. Mr Crotty brings years of specialised knowledge, having assisted in building up many of the first UK law firms to locate in the Irish mark

Duty of care legislation will be reformed to restrict the liability of occupiers, the government has announced. The proposed amendments to the Occupiers' Liability Act 1995 will be included in the Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022 as part of the government's push to reduce in

The High Court has determined that a hotel was not entitled to insurance cover for pandemic losses under an RSA policy of insurance. The policy required a notifiable disease to be “manifesting itself at the premises” for the policy to cover any losses. In a 94-page judgment, Mr Justice D

A ban on "price walking" in the Irish motor and home insurance markets will be brought into effect from July 2022, the Central Bank has announced. From 1 July, insurance providers will not be allowed to charge relevant renewing customers a premium that is higher than they would have charged an equiv

Partners at insurance law specialists BLM and Clyde & Co are set to vote on a possible merger which would create a combined firm with annual revenue of around £733 million (roughly €872 million). According to the Law Society Gazette in England and Wales, the firms – both of whic

Legislation to prevent an increase in motor insurance premiums in Northern Ireland has cleared Stormont and is expected to become law by May. The Motor Vehicles (Compulsory Insurance) Bill aims to ensure that domestic statutory provision on compulsory motor insurance, as contained in the 1981 Road T

The setting of a new personal injury discount rate (PIDR) for Northern Ireland could be jeopardised by the possible collapse of the Northern Ireland Assembly, an insurance law expert has warned. The Damages (Return on Investment) Bill, which introduces a statutory methodology for calculating the dis

Insurance company elipsLife, a subsidiary of Swiss Re, has appointed solicitor Fiona Moriarty as senior legal counsel for Ireland. Ms Moriarty, who is qualified in Ireland and in England and Wales, has 10 years' post-qualification experience in insurance and insurance litigation.

The High Court has ruled that FBD Insurance plc must pay publicans for losses arising from the early closures of premises which occurred from 10 August 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In a 201-page judgment, Mr Justice Denis McDonald held that the early closing requirement was a government-impose

The High Court has issued a further ruling in the landmark FBD case, dealing with issues around quantum. The test cases brought by four pubs – The Leopardstown Inn, Sinnotts, Seán’s Bar, and Lemon and Duke – concern their business interruption insurance policies with FBD and