A football club from the sixth tier of English football is suing an insurance broker for almost half a million pounds in damages due to underinsurance, according to a report this week.
Legal news and analysis source Law360 said Brackley Town FC, which plays in the National League North, had initiated the High Court lawsuit alleging that “negligent advice” left them exposed following a fire at its ground in 2019.
The fire, which destroyed the 'Clubhouse' building, is believed to have been caused by faulty electrics. It was recently reopened as an events space by the local mayor following reconstruction and renamed ‘The Venue’. Brackley Town won the FA Trophy in 2018 and was the boyhood club of Chelsea and US international midfielder Christian Pulisic.
Law360 said the June 19 filing stated that the insurance had not been enough to cover the costs of repairs and that business interruption had been improperly arranged. The allegation, according to the report, is that the broker had renewed the property insurance on the basis of the previous year’s cover without acknowledging any changes, had given inadequate advice and hadn’t take steps to ensure the policyholder understood the cover.
It added that the football club’s insurer had disputed the claim following the fire due to “significant material misrepresentation in the sums insured.” A settlement had eventually been reached between the two sides, with the insurer paying out £250,000.
Northamptonshire based Brackley Town is now suing their insurance broker for £474,000, according to Law360, being the amount that the insurer would have paid out if deductions had not been made for underinsurance, less the settlement fee.
Our own data, based on more than 11,000 property assessments, shows that around nine out of 10 properties in the UK are insured for the wrong amount. The vast majority (79%) are underinsured.
On average, at RebuildCostASSESSMENT.com, we find that buildings are only covered for 69% of the amount they should be, leading to considerable and widespread shortfalls in cover.