2023-07-02 15:20:00
[Article publié le dimanche 2 juillet à 10:08 et mis à jour à 17H20] “Insurers are mobilized and will continue to respond (…) to support their policyholders”. This is how the professional organization, France Assureurs, responded to the remarks of the Minister of the Economy on Saturday, thus wanting to be reassuring when France has been affected since Tuesday by riots which have caused damage to a good number of businesses. . More than 700 owners are thus affected and if the insurers should take care of the majority of the damage, obtaining complete compensation will not necessarily be easy.
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In detail, there were, on Saturday, a dozen shopping centers and more than 200 retail chains attacked and looted – including 15 burned down -, 250 tobacco shops but also 250 bank branches, stores of all sizes, establishments fast food…
Bruno Le Maire nevertheless refused to give a quantified assessment of the damage, believing that it is too early for that. However, the bill could be higher than for the demonstrations of yellow vests, which had caused 249 million euros in damage in 2018 and 2019, and than for the riots of 2005 (204 million euros).
“It’s hyper critical and there is really very significant damage”reacted to AFP Alain Di Crescenzo, president of CCI France (the chambers of commerce and industry). “We are at several thousand shops”, with a predilection for sporting goods, food and optics. A balance sheet all the heavier according to him as many security guards have asserted their right of withdrawal. Consequently, each CCI has opened a crisis unit — including psychological –, according to Alain Di Crescenzo, who is calling for priority in police stations for traders so that they can easily declare their claims, but above all for aid to compensate for the deductibles, operating losses if they are not insured, payment of security guards and partial unemployment.
« Rreduce deductibles as much as possible »
A point on which Bruno Le Maire also insisted on Saturday, in vain. ” We have asked insurers to be as simple as possible in processing procedures ” and of ” reduce deductibles as much as possible “, he declared, Saturday, in front of journalists after having received representatives of traders, hoteliers-restaurateurs, insurers and bankers in Bercy. According to him, “90 to 95% of traders are covered by claims and damage insurance”. And to ensure that the federation of insurers has “made formal commitments to study the possibility of reducing the deductibles”during an afternoon meeting in Bercy.
« This is the minimum, but afterwards we will have to see in the application of this “, reacted Sunday on RMC chef Thierry Marx, president of Umih, the main employers’ union for the hotel and catering industry. “The announcements are always announcements, (…) but it will then be necessary to deal directly with the insurance companies, to simplify the procedures, it is something else again”he added.
Especially since, for its part, France Assureurs did not respond to the question of deductibles in its communication. In other words, it has not publicly come out in favor of lowering them. Members of the organization are “all mobilized” to respond to the victims of the riots, she nevertheless assured, affirming that“accelerating compensation is particularly crucial to enable professionals whose work tool has been degraded or even destroyed to quickly restart their activity”. A spokesperson confirmed to AFP that this statement should be adhered to. ” for the moment “.
Extend the time limit for reporting damage
The Minister of Economy also insisted on the need that ” compensation [arrivent] as soon as possible, within deadlines which must be counted in days and not in weeks “. Compensation will, in fact, take a few weeks for the majority of cases, and despite the extent of the damage, estimates Olivier Moustacakis, co-founder of Assurland, an online insurance comparator. Delays according to him which will not be monstrous », car « insurers are still equipped to deal with an influx of requests.
To speed up the process, the Minister of the Economy invited the victims of damage and looting to quickly declare the claims to their insurance. ” A call is enough, or an email, or an SMS! » « We have planned to extend if necessary to extend the reporting deadlines”, he added. Currently, policyholders must immediately file a complaint with the police authorities and declare their damage to their insurer within five days of becoming aware of the loss. In addition, several prefectures have strengthened their system to facilitate the filing of complaints, and therefore compensation.
What damage covered?
« Reporting deadlines must be extended, but insurers must also adapt claims acknowledgments “, has, in fact, noticed Philippe Coy, president of the Confederation of tobacconists. “I don’t think there will be enough experts in the short term, each member should be able to photograph the damage in order to be able to repair without waiting for an expert report”he also raises.
As for the nature of the damage covered, according to the Insurance Code, insurers are theoretically not required to cover loss and damage caused by riots or popular movements. Nevertheless, residential buildings, for commercial use or belonging to municipalities, are most often guaranteed against fire and explosion by the multi-risk or fire contract which may have been taken out to cover them, explains France Assureurs. In the event of deliberate damage, the vandalism guarantee allows you to be compensated and the looting can be covered by the theft guarantee. However, this does not play for objects stolen from outside buildings, specifies the club of insurers on its website. The victim can also turn to the Crime Victims Compensation Commission (CIVI), which can offer assistance under certain conditions.
The case of operating losses
Regarding compensation during the closure of trade, it may not intervene in all cases. And for good reason, if fire or theft are, for example, part of the basic risks and are covered by professional multi-risk contracts, this is not the case for operating losses. And, according to France Assureurs, only one out of two businesses is insured against them and can therefore be compensated for the loss of profit linked to the closure, until a reopening. ” It’s not a huge proportion “However, comments to AFP Olivier Moustacakis, from Assurland.
However, for businesses that have seen their glass door pulverized with stones and hammers, their iron curtain ripped open or their facade blackened by fire, not to mention thefts and damage to the interior, the reopening could take time. .
The community insurer goes into crisis mode
For its part, SMACL Assurances, a subsidiary of the mutual insurer MAIF specializing in local authorities (municipalities, departmental and regional councils, etc.), indicated on its website on Saturday that it had activated a ” specific device to facilitate the declarations of its policyholders affected by the riots. Indeed, some 1,350 vehicles were burned in the night alone from Friday to Saturday. 266 buildings were set on fire or damaged, including 26 town halls and 24 schools. Other public performances were targeted by rioters
« Given the circumstances (…), you can declare your claims until July 31, 2023 “, And this ” by any means “: assured space, telephone, e-mail, mail, he specifies. The insurer of schools, town halls and other centers of departmental and regional councils ” may make advances on compensation final, he says, to expedite repairs and get employees back to work sooner.
A call to the banks
Finally, Bruno Le Maire also addressed the banks on Saturday, asking them “the greatest understanding in terms of processing deadlines” professionals concerned. To which the President of the French Banking Federation, Philippe Brassac, replied that they were “present, fully mobilized to respond in a personalized way to the needs of their customers affected by the recent riots”. A deferral of payment of social and tax charges for companies in difficulty will also be possible. Traders are also demanding a delay in the repayment of state-guaranteed loans (PGE) granted during the health crisis.
The gestures mentioned will not be sufficient, regretted Murielle Bourreau, vice-president of the French Federation of merchant associations. ” I hear yet another postponement (of charges) after the one we had after the Covid, that we had after the pension reform or the yellow vests. I think the traders are going to be taken by the throat once again“she said on the set of BFMTV, denouncing the passage of compensation procedures too cumbersome.
In addition, the possibility of extending sales for one week for affected businesses is being studied. “The sales started very well, tourism is doing very well. We have so many chances, so many assets in this country, we must preserve them.has, in fact, pleaded Olivia Grégoire, Minister Delegate responsible in particular for SMEs and trade.
(With AFP)
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