Ina OppermanInsurance giant Santam announced earlier on Monday that it would start the process to assess claims for business interruption, but it would still appeal the indemnity period after the recent judgment in the Western Cape High Court that ordered the company to pay the claims from Ma-Afrika Hotels and The Stellenbosch Kitchen.
Santam said in a statement that although it respected the decision of the courts and believed the recent court judgments provided legal certainty about the proximate cause of business interruption losses for similar policies, it also believed there were still valid reasons to appeal the indemnity period.Court orders insurance giants Santam to pay business claims
The process will include assessments for the applicable hospitality and leisure division business interruption claims previously rejected after the national lockdown began on 27 March last year.Santam said the assessment process required businesses to provide audited financial statements and other documentation to support their claims and it had previously advised brokers of these requirements. The insurer urged clients to work closely with their brokers to ensure that the requirements were met.