The storm which has affected several regions of the country in recent hours, notably the Valencian Community, but also Albacete and Malaga, has left devastating images, with dozens of houses and vehicles affected by water. Beyond the human and personal losses, residents will have to deal with insurance procedures in the coming days to cover the damage caused by DANA to their properties. The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, stressed on Wednesday that the Executive “will help with all the resources of the State and the European Union if necessary” so that those affected can “move forward”.
The Minister of Economy, Carlos Body, already announced early this morning that “the Insurance Compensation Consortium is ready to start working on the ground as soon as possible.” But what is this organism? What should people affected by the storm do?
What is the Insurance Compensation Consortium?
The Insurance Compensation Consortium is a public body, dependent on the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business, which is responsible for processing compensation resulting from extraordinary events, such as “damage caused by natural phenomena”. , like DANA, “or derived from events with political or social impact. However, the entity does not cover all cases: it only responds if the user has previously taken out insurance, current and up to date with payment.
How to claim compensation for damage to your home
From Facua-Consumidores en Acción they advise those affected to report the damage “as soon as possible”. According to the Consortium on its website, the claim for compensation can be handled by the parties concerned themselves or by the companies with which they have taken out the insurance. To do this, they must submit the policy, insured information, and banking information to collect the income upon approval. The request can be made by telephone —900.222.665— or via the website, if you have an electronic DNI.
The agency specifies that “the less time that passes between the occurrence of the damage and the request for compensation, the sooner the corresponding treatment will be carried out”. If an affected person does not have their policy, which is common in cases where the home is damaged or needs to be abandoned quickly, they can contact their insurer to obtain this information.
To be entitled to compensation for direct material damage, the policy taken out must include coverage for risks due to fire, theft, broken glass, damage to machines, electronic equipment, computers or their combined modalities, indicates the public body. In addition, the Consortium also compensates in the event of death, disability or temporary incapacity, according to the amounts provided for in the insurance that the persons concerned had previously taken out.
Does this cover vehicle damage?
The Consortium is also responsible for damage caused by extraordinary events to vehicles. In this case, the requirements are more lax: you still need to have insurance, but the compulsory insurance for third-party damage is sufficient. “Damage will be compensated both in the event that the vehicle was insured with some coverage for damage to the vehicle itself (e.g. broken windows, theft or so-called comprehensive insurance with or without excess) , that in the case where it was only because of a civil liability policy,” he specifies.
And what about damage or losses in businesses?
This public body also covers damages or losses, including profits, caused to businesses that were previously insured through private entities. This ranges from material damage to the reduction in income due to the cessation of activity caused by the event or extraordinary damage. The Consortium gives an example: “The economic loss due to the cessation of sales due to direct damage caused by flooding in certain food cold rooms. »
What this organization specifies is that the evaluation of these losses will be made by the entity itself and will be independent of what could have been achieved, if applicable, by the insurer which covers ordinary risks.
How much is the compensation?
In all cases, the Consortium covers damage according to the limits that each insured person has contracted with their private insurer. “This means that, when providing compensation, the Consortium will take into account the same assets, the same insured capital and other conditions — first risk, compensation limits, etc. — established in this insurance policy for these eventualities”, they emphasize.
