Insurers say most Melissa motor claims settled

Nearly one year after Hurricane Melissa devastated sections of Jamaica, the Insurance Association of Jamaica (IAJ) says 90 per cent of motor vehicle insurance claims arising from the disaster have been fully settled and paid, making it the best-performing category of claims linked to the storm.

The update comes against the backdrop of repeated criticism from Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness, who has argued that slow insurance payouts have hampered recovery efforts for households and businesses affected by the hurricane.

“I want to challenge the private insurers to speed up the payments on the claims. That is an important part of the recovery from Hurricane Melissa,” the prime minister said in June. More recently, Holness argued that delayed settlements were slowing the country’s overall recovery, warning that legitimate claims were taking too long to reach payment.