Think you don’t need Terrorism Insurance? Think Again!
19-Dec-19
Think you don’t need Terrorism Insurance? Think Again! Following recent tragic events in London, I’ve been thinking about the effect of terrorism on business; more specifically on SME’s and also on the insurance industry. Several of my contacts have posted on LinkedIn, pointing out that denial of access to bars, shops or places of work have bankrupted many firms (often SME’s operating on small margins) following terror incidents. This sparked my interest and I decided to do some research. Approximately 80% of businesses do not have any form of insurance against loss in the event of a terrorist attack.[i] Insurance brokers will want to ask; why are so many businesses missing out on this important aspect of their insurance cover? The fact that only around 1 in 5 businesses have terrorism insurance is concerning. Insurance specialist, James Woolerton, at Tristar Special Risks, suggests that Terrorism Insurance is bought by two types of people; the “informed and the obliged” – or in other words - those who understand how important it is, due to having a clear understanding of the risks; and those who are forced to purchase terrorism cover, for example by a mortgage provider.[ii] To get more SMEs responding to this risk, it is important that more companies join the ranks of the “informed”. What is terrorism insurance? Insurance against terrorist attacks can be difficult to define; because terrorism itself is difficult to characterize. While there are varying definitions available, it is important to remember that though the most common perception of “terrorism” is that of bombings carried out by recognised extremist groups, the description is actually far wider than that. Terrorism can include an attack by any group seeking to cause fear or disruption through violence and force in order to create change. Therefore, even situations, such as violent interruption of transport by political activists, could be considered a terrorist event. This decade has also ...
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