Excess dog damage

An excess is paid when claims are accepted. If damage is caused by more than one event, more than one excess can be applied.

Excess dog damage

Viv’s* insurance claim, for carpet damaged by dog vomit and diarrhoea, was accepted. Three policy excesses (totalling $1,200) were deducted from the payment. The policy specified an excess of $400 would be deducted for each “incident”, being “something that happens at a particular point in time, at a particular place and in a particular way.”

Viv said the vomiting and diarrhoea occurred throughout the house over one day. But it happened at different times during the day. Each time Viv’s carpet was damaged was a separate incident (the incident is what happened, not the cause). It was reasonable for the insurer to apply three excesses.

Complaint not upheld

*Names have been changed

See the full case study.