Insurer denies compensation for ski helmet damaged during trip, citing minor visible flaws

A Latvian resident faces a dispute with his insurer, Swedbank, over a damaged ski helmet. The incident occurred in Italy when the helmet fell from his car onto asphalt after the door was opened. While the owner believes the helmet is no longer safe for use due to the impact, the insurance company has denied his claim.

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When opening the car door, the helmet fell out, it fell on the asphalt, and this was reported to the insurers.

The owner cited manufacturer recommendations, which state that a helmet should be replaced after a single impact, even if no external damage is visible. He presented this argument to Swedbank, but the insurer maintained that the visible damage was only cosmetic and did not affect the helmet's intended use.

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I explained it to them, and they sent me another decision, stating the correct rules, but still negative with the same reasoning.

Swedbank's media relations manager, Jānis Krops, explained that the decision was based on the submitted materials, which did not show significant damage rendering the helmet unsafe. Krops expressed surprise that a helmet designed for substantial impacts would be considered irreparable from such a minor fall.

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Compensation was denied to the client because the materials submitted in the application did not show anything that proves the helmet's damage to the extent that it would no longer be safe to use.

However, Krops clarified that such assessments cannot be made solely from photographs of minor scratches. He urged the client to provide a formal defect report or a document confirming the helmet's unsafety, which Swedbank would then consider. Without such official documentation, the insurer stands by its decision.

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It is slightly confusing that a helmet, whose purpose is to withstand significantly greater impact, would be irreparably damaged by practically slipping out of hand while sitting. However, regardless, such decisions cannot be made based on a single photograph showing only helmet scratches.