Loss log: Claims at Christmas

Expert risk article | November 2022
The holiday season should be a time of peace and goodwill for all but for businesses there are many perils and pitfalls which can disrupt this harmony. Over the past five years AGCS has received more than 400 claims from companies on Christmas Day (December 25) alone. What are the top causes? Spoiler: make sure any goods or cargo that are being transported are packed and stored correctly!

10. Machinery breakdown (including engine failure) 3% 
e.g. damage to industrial machinery, factory hardware, ship aircraft/vehicle engine etc. 

9. Natural catastrophes 3% 
e.g. damage or disruption caused by hurricanes, tornados, storms, floods, wildfires, extreme weather etc. 

8. Defective product 4% 
e.g. large product recall; cost of fixing defective automotive parts; lost business income due to premises closing; food contamination etc. 

7. Fire/explosion 5% 
e.g. building/factory fire; electrical fire; gas explosion; vehicle fire etc. 

6. Bodily injury 6%
e.g. workplace injury; slip and falls at airports etc. 

5. Willful acts (crime) 7%
e.g. theft and burglary, vandalism, rioting and looting etc. 

4. Faulty workmanship/maintenance 8% 
e.g. collapse of building/structure/subsidence due to faulty work; faulty manufacturing of products/components; inadequate maintenance etc. 

3. Water damage 8% 
e.g. boiler leakage; flooding in basement; flooding due to burst pipes; general escape of water in commercial premises; failure of primary heating, ventilation and air conditioning system etc. 

2. Shipping incidents (sinking, collision etc.) 9% 
e.g. collision with harbor wall; hull damage at sea; ship grounding; ship foundering; collision with another vessel etc. 

1. Damaged goods (including handling/storage) 10% 
e.g. goods/technical equipment damaged; vehicles damaged in transit; equipment lost on premises; contents of a container damaged etc. 

Source: Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS). Based on analysis of 424 business insurance claims where the cause of loss occurred on December 25 between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2021, worth approximately €61mn in value. “Other” causes of loss account for 35% of the number of all claims. Claims total includes the share of other insurers in addition to AGCS.
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