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Negligence

Negligence in insurance refers to when a person fails to take due care of their stuff or the stuff/safety of other people.

What is an example of negligence?

When it comes to insurance negligence, the keyword is "due care." If you're ever in doubt, think about what a reasonable person would do in your situation. Some examples of negligence would be if you:

  • Leave your phone in clear sight on the dashboard of your car and it gets stolen.
  • Take a bike ride and pop into the shop without chaining your bike and it gets stolen.
  • Purposefully ignore repairs needed to your roof and, after a big storm, your TV gets damaged because your ceiling collapses.
  • Do not service your car regularly and as a result, you have an accident.

Will my insurer pay out if I have been negligent?

Usually, no. However, negligence is a case-by-case assessment, so you should always do whatever seems reasonable to protect your property and that of others. If you disagree with your insurer's assessment of negligence you can take it up with the Ombudsman.

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