Underhanded insurance companies

Government Senator Charles Sinclair has ripped into what he has described as “underhanded insurance companies”, which he said only respond to third party claims when court action is initiated.

Sinclair, a veteran attorney- at-law, made the accusation in the Senate on Friday during his contribution to the debate on the Jamaica Consumer and Competition Authority Bill, 2026.

The authority will in effect be a merger of the Consumer Affairs Commission and the Fair Trading Commission. Sinclair described third parties (the victims) as being “on the other side of the coin to policyholders of motor vehicle insurance”. “Many of these third parties are not motor vehicle owners but are pedestrians or cyclists. Many are innocent passengers in a vehicle trying to get from one place to another to earn a living or just get on with their lives.