A Victim May Claim Insurance Deductible from a Criminal

Businesses often take out insurance against substantial damage or loss. However, paying insurance means that a company incurs additional expenses that can be quite high. The TARK Legal Office, representing a company that fell victim to international fraud, managed to win a court case whereby they were able to claim the insurance deductible from the criminal.

The large-scale criminal case was brought against fraudsters who had been committing criminal offences against property for years. A rental car was stolen from the client of the TARK Legal Office, and sold abroad.

“In the case of a theft of an expensive vehicle, the insurance deductible alone is several thousand Euros, equivalent to the monthly salary of many employees,” said Tauno Tark, partner and team leader of the TARK Legal Office. “The legal proceedings lasted for many years, and although the thieves tried to claim that they were only fulfilling orders and did not understand the essence of their actions, we achieved the full compensation of damages from the court, meaning that the thieves also had to cover the expenses of the insurance deductible.“

However, according to Tark, the victim of a crime must consider that simply catching the criminal and starting court proceedings may not automatically mean that insurance deductible can be claimed and covered. “For the full coverage of damages, a special claim must be presented during the criminal proceedings,“ said Tark.