A devastating earthquake struck New Zealand early this year, causing widespread damage throughout the region of Canterbury. In the wake of the quake, insurance companies fled the nation, paying out policies and refusing to sell insurance in the region until recovery had been achieved. In the months following the disaster, the New Zealand government offered to purchase the properties that had been damaged, all of which were completely uninsurable. Recently, however, insurance agents and underwriters have been visiting Christchurch, the city most affected by the disaster, looking to assess the…
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New Zealand’s Canterbury gets limited insurance after the majority of companies flee the market
Good news for New Zealand’s insurance industry has been scarce. The country has been struggling with continuous aftershocks after the disastrous quake that struck Christchurch in February. The situation has been so taxing on the country’s insurance industry that many companies have pulled out completely. Now there are more than $3 billion worth of uninsured assets in Canterbury, the region in which Christchurch resides. The city council has been scrambling to obtain some kind of insurance coverage. The majority of insurance policies in the Canterbury area expired a few days…
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