In my previous column, 'The link between claims delay and disaster recovery’, I examined how slow claims settlement can stall economic and social recovery after catastrophic events. Delays do not just affect balance sheets; they disrupt lives, prolong suffering, and erode confidence in the insurance system.

This follow-up explores what happens next — the decisive point when insurers and policyholders finally engage. In insurance, this is the moment of truth.

The phrase 'el momento de la verdad,' borrowed from Spanish bullfighting, refers to the final, decisive encounter. In business, it has come to mean the critical interaction between customer and provider. In insurance, that moment arrives when a claim is submitted. The policyholder expects the contract to perform. The insurer must deliver on its promise. There is no room for ambiguity at that stage. Either the system works, or trust is broken.