A Christchurch insurance advocate says the new Canterbury Earthquake Insurance Tribunal may finally be the solution to get unresolved claims from the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes settled. The government has launched an earthquake insurance tribunal to try to finally resolve outstanding insurance claims from the Canterbury earthquakes. Dean Lester, who acts as a insurance claim preparer in Christchurch, told our reporter Rachel Graham the tribunal will have the power to get on and make a decision on the key sticking points, without people facing the huge cost of a high court trial.
Many small businesses in Canterbury are struggling to stay afloat after the earthquake and an insurance and risk management consultant, John Sloan, says one problem is the long wait to get insurance money.
How much are insurance premiums going to increase by after the Christchurch earthquakes?
Christchurch homeowner Bob Burnett says lengthy delays in resolving his earthquake insurance claim is destroying his finances and affecting his kids' health. He's calling for a Royal Commission into the conduct of the insurance sector.
Overlapping claims and general confusion are delaying money payable to New Zealand for damage from the Canterbury earthquakes. The money involved is payable through reinsurance schemes taken out by insurance companies in this country, with firms overseas.
The Canterbury earthquake is tipped to increase insurance premiums across the country.
The Earthquake Recovery Minister and the Insurance Council both deny that insurance companies pressured the Government to relax building guidelines in Canterbury.
The Insurance Council has shot down criticism the industry may be delaying earthquake claims for financial gain.
Thousands of people are making insurance claims after heavy rain and flooding in the north of New Zealand, especially in Auckland.
Insurance lawyer Peter Woods has worked on property claims for earthquake damage in Canterbury and Marlborough..
He has also been an Independent Specialist Adviser to the government. Peter talks to Lisa Owen.
Gaps in the government's insurance cover will leave many schools damaged by the earthquakes in Canterbury out of pocket.
Canterbury earthquake victims say they've got new cause for anxiety - whether or not insurance companies will reinsure them.
The insurance company, Tower, has strongly criticised the time it's taking to settle Canterbury earthquake claims and says the insurance system for handling such disasters is broken.
Insurance cover has been cancelled for Christchurch's historic Arts Centre and its Catholic Cathedral which were both badly damaged in the February earthquake.
The cost of insurance could rise by 20 per cent as a result of the Government bailout of AMI Insurance and the mounting cost of the Canterbury earthquakes.
The Christchurch city and Waimakariri District councils have from today got no insurance cover for future earthquakes after their existing policies expired at 4pm.
The Serious Fraud Office has launched it's first investigation into earthquake insurance fraud in Christchurch which could involve tens of millions of dollars.
Two years on from the Christchurch earthquakes, a local author says the insurance industry has failed in its response to the disaster.
The man who heads California's earthquake insurance agency says Christchurch is much better placed to recover from earthquake devastation than his state.
The Earthquake Recovery Minister, Gerry Brownlee, says he's lost patience with the private insurance industry over delays in settling quake related claims.
Official figures show the Christchurch City Council's legal bill to settle its earthquake insurance claims is sitting at nine million dollars, and climbing.
Christchurch woman Pam Sharpe has endured earthquakes, fires and dealing with insurance companies, but then she received a parking ticket. She tells Checkpoint what happened next.
The Christchurch earthquakes could prompt a further shake up of the insurance industry. Home owners are already being hit with premium increases of up to 30%.
Tower Insurance has increased the amount it is willing to pay towards repairing an earthquake-damaged Christchurch home, but is still refusing to pay for a more expensive rebuild.
Listed general insurance company Tower has reported a bigger first half loss on lingering Canterbury earthquake claims and a write down in its computer systrems.
Insurance premiums look set to rise by up to a third and even more to meet the cost of the Christchurch earthquakes and other disasters overseas.
The Earthquake Recovery Minister, Gerry Brownlee, is in Europe in an attempt to convince insurance companies not to pull out of New Zealand after the Christchurch earthquakes.
The insurance industry says overseas insurers have become wary of New Zealand after Monday's earthquakes in Christchurch and higher premiums across the country are now almost inevitable.
A group of angry Christchurch locals are considering legal action against one of the country's biggest insurance companies because they say their earthquake claims are taking too long to settle.
A Christchurch man has been left stunned after his insurance premium rose by 440 percent after his insurer decided his property was at a higher risk from earthquakes.
Both sides are expected to sum up their cases today in the legal battle between Tower Insurance and a Christchurch couple, over the amount owed on an earthquake damaged home.
