Gas crisis has caused insured losses of 154 000 €
Bratislava, 21.1.2009 – Temperatures below zero in combination with gas crisis has driven some families and firms in Slovakia into heating by means of electric heaters, chimneys and various sorts of stoves. However their usage has often brought fire instead of warm. To this day Generali Slovensko registers insurance events due to burning in the amount of c. 154 000 € (4.639.404 Sk).
Unprofessional installation and adjustments of heating bodies, electric heaters of poor quality in combination with unskilled manipulation are the common source of burning in all of these insurance events.
Biggest damage reported to Generali Slovensko happened in motor-car repair shop. What caused the fire was a solid fuel stove with opening into the chimney that was not executed expertly. This was the cause of sparks flying all over the shop and falling onto flammable material stored in the place which took fire. The fire gradually spread on all cars intended to reparation and continued to the annexed family house where it caused additional damage. Presumptive total loss comes to 70.000 € (2 108 820 Sk).
Another considerable damage of app. 60.000 € (1 807 560 Sk) happened in a family house. Cause of the fire was a fire place with the chimney body not isolated sufficiently. Wooden roof frame caught fire.
Also in another case the fire started in consequence of insufficiently isolated chimney body of a fireplace insertion. The owners made fire in the fireplace, the insufficient isolation overheated and the wooden roof frame caught fire. It has caused damage of 20.000 € (602 520 Sk).
Heating by means of electric heater caused damage in another client’s household. The fire damaged contents such as microwave, furniture and plasma TV, total loss in amount of 4000 € (120 504 Sk).
Most frequent insured accidents when using electric heaters occur due to leaving them turned on without surveillance, covering them or installing them too close to contents, overheating or short-circuits. When it comes to fireplaces and stoves, the most common cause of fire is their construction, adjustment and installation without a professional’s assistance.
Clients often don’t act properly when it comes to fire or other insurance event which can lead to increasing the degree of damage. When an insurance event occurs complying with some basic principles is essential.
It is important to report the occurred insurance event in as short time as possible. Generali Slovensko clients can do so via telephone, email or mail.
It is also very useful to make photo documentation of the damages. It is possible to begin cleaning up the damages, however be careful not to harm more of the holding when doing so.
It is suitable to classify the thing as damaged completely and harmed and to make a list of them. If the situation allows, store the damage thing so that the liquidation professionals can verify them. Safety or sanitary reasons sometimes force one to clear off the remains even before the arrival of loss adjusters. In this case it is very important to provide provableness and the amount of caused damages and to provide evidence to these arguments (photo documentation, health officer order etc.). It is always better to wait up for the insurer’s instruction before repairing harmed things. When reparation is inevitable due to safety or sanitary reason, same rules are to be applied as in case of totally damaged things.
(Amounts converted with conversion rate 1 EUR = 30.1260 SKK)
Generali Slovensko is one of the top 3 most powerful insurers on the Slovak market and was established by merging of Česká poisťovňa – Slovensko, a.s. and Generali Poisťovňa , a.s. Generali Slovensko insuranceis part of Generali PPF Holding B.V., which currently conducts business in 13 countries in central and eastern Europe. Through its subsidiaries Generali PPF Holding manages active capital in the amount of almost 10 billion euro and provides services to 9 million clients. Generali PPF Holding headquarters are based in Netherlands and its main organizational branch is situated in Prague in Czech Republic. Generali PPF Holding B.V. is a joint venture of Assicurazioni Generali ( 51 % share) and PPF Group (49 % share).
