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🇦🇺 Australia /Disasters & Emergencies

Gym owner fighting for insurance nearly four years after 2022 floods

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • A gym owner in Seymour, Victoria, is still fighting his insurer nearly four years after the 2022 floods.
  • His insurer, Hollard, denied his claim for storm damage, unlike five other businesses on the same street whose claims were overturned.
  • The gym owner stated his livelihood and staff's livelihoods were at stake, while the insurer cited an expert hydrologist's findings supporting their decision.

Nearly four years after devastating floods hit parts of Victoria, a small business owner in Seymour remains locked in a protracted battle with his insurer. Adam and Alex Griffiths' gym was among six businesses on their street that initially lacked flood cover. While five of these businesses had their storm cover claims overturned after proving inundation by stormwater before the river flood, the Griffiths' insurer, Hollard, has maintained its denial.

All I needed to do was partner with some other insurer, and I would have been covered.

— Adam GriffithsThe gym owner expressed his frustration with his insurer's denial of his claim.

"All I needed to do was partner with some other insurer, and I would have been covered," Mr. Griffiths expressed, adding his disappointment that the company could "sit there and watch the damage and devastation, it's my livelihood and my staff's livelihood, and they can just say no."

Record rainfall in October 2022 caused stormwater to inundate the gym in the afternoon, damaging floors and equipment, well before the Goulburn River peaked at its highest level in over 100 years early the next morning. Hollard declined an interview but stated they engaged an expert hydrologist whose findings supported their original claim decision. They offered to continue working with the customer should they provide additional information or seek further review.

It's very disappointing that the company can sit there and watch the damage and devastation, it's my livelihood and my staff's livelihood, and they can just say no.

— Adam GriffithsThe gym owner described his feelings about his insurer's decision.

Courtney Carroll, owner of the Stihl Shop two doors down, described the street as "like a lake" on October 13, 2022, with water flooding businesses hours before the river flood arrived. Her own stormwater inundation claim was initially denied but later overturned. She questioned the disparity, asking how other units on the same street could receive inundation claims while hers was denied, despite proving water entered from the gutters.

We're all 45 Wallis Street. How do [units] 1, 2, 3 and 5 get an inundation claim and not 4?

— Courtney CarrollThe Stihl Shop owner questioned the differing decisions on insurance claims for businesses on the same street.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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