Insurance Ombudsman Schemes : A Comparative Analysis

The book explores the institution of the insurance ombudsman – an alternative dispute resolution service outside of the court dedicated to resolving complaints filed by customers against insurers and insurance intermediaries. The ombudsman scheme constitutes a significant element of every insurance market, as it contributes to enhancing consumer protection and increasing trust in the insurance industry. Despite these valuable functions, not all jurisdictions provide insurance consumers with easy and effective access to ombudsman services.

In the interest of promoting good market practices, this book provides an in-depth discussion on the role and workings of insurance ombudsman services in Europe. The book may serve as a source of inspiration for both established ombudsman institutions when rethinking their structure, and for emerging markets when considering the introduction of ombudsman schemes. The main body consists of reports on insurance ombudsman schemes in ten representative European jurisdictions, based on a detailed, uniform questionnaire.

Written by experts from academia and representatives of insurance ombudsman offices, the book will benefit ombudsman officers, regulators, supervisors, practitioners, academics, students and, more generally, all those involved with or interested in insurance, dispute resolution and consumer protection.

Professor Helmut Heiss, Dr. jur. (Innsbruck); LL.M. (Chicago); Ordinarius for Private Law, Comparative Law and Private International Law at the University of Zurich; Chairman of the Project Group "Principles of European Insurance Contract Law; Co-Chairman of the Project Group "Principles of Reinsurance Contract Law”; Co-coordinator of the Insurance Law Special Interest Group at the European Law Institute.

Martin Lorenzon, Ombudsman of Private Insurance and SUVA.

Dr. Marta Ostrowska, Lecturer in Insurance Law and Regulation, University of Zurich, Secretary-General of the Project Group "Principles of Reinsurance Contract Law”.

Dr. Ann-Catherine Nabholz, Head of Process Management, Ombudsman of Private Insurance and SUVA.