Hibernian Insurance placed an advertisement in national newspapers* today to recruit specialised fraud investigators to try to combat fraud and claims exaggeration in the Irish market.
Hibernian Insurance placed an advertisement in national newspapers* today to recruit specialised fraud investigators to try to combat fraud and claims exaggeration in the Irish market.
Managing director Gary Owens explained that this is all part of the company’s drive to reduce insurance costs for small businesses. “False claims and exaggerated claims are one of the main factors contributing to rising insurance costs in Ireland today. The problem is that everyone ends up paying for this through increased premiums. Furthermore there are no legal penalties for taking a false or exaggerated claim to court. Hibernian is trying to nip this problem in the bud by appointing our own in-house investigator who will catch these bogus claimants before they ever reach the courts”.
This move follows an announcement by Hibernian at the Small Firms Association annual conference on Tuesday, 2 October, that it plans to introduce a new internet-based risk management package to assist all its small business customers to assess their individual business risks in a proactive way and reduce insurance costs.
“It is a means for small business owners, who frankly have more to be doing than poring over the minutiae of health and safety legislation, to ensure that their business is up to scratch. Our system is web-based, user friendly and absolutely non-technical. It provides guidance on all aspects of health and safety, fire management, risk assessment, training and incidence recording and ensures a business is compliant with all its legal obligations,” said Gary Owens.
The package is available free to all Hibernian business customers, and any company that agrees to use it is entitled to an automatic 10% reduction in their premium. Further discounts of up to 25% are also potentially available for companies that are seen to manage risks proactively and accept €5,000 excess on each claim made.
Gary Owens concluded: “I am committed personally to ensuring that Hibernian works incessantly to provide value for money to our small business customers, with the appointment of our in-house investigator and the new risk management package developed in conjunction with the Small Firms Association we hope that costs will come down."
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*Irish Times, business section pg 15
Press contact:
Kela O’Riordan, 01 617 8164, 086 606 8842,
kela.oriordan@hibernian.ie
A photograph taken today is available by ISDN or in j-peg format of Gary Owens with An Tanaiste Mary Harney TD and Pat Delaney (SFA) launching the Hibernian/SFA guide: ‘Managing Insurance: A Guide for Small Businesses’, this accompanies the Internet package.
Notes to editors:
- Hibernian is part of the Aviva plc, the seventh largest insurance group globally (based on gross worldwide premia)
- Hibernian is Ireland’s largest composite insurer, ranked first for general insurance and top five for life and pensions
- Hibernian insures one in three small businesses in Ireland
- Hibernian news releases are also available on www.hibernian.ie