Dropped the phone in the loo? Some insurer claim denials not waterproof
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A Swiss insurance ombudsman is doing more than just telling smartphone owners to stick their wet communication devices in rice.
With a growing number of cases of water damage from smartphones being dropped in the toilet, Zurich-based Martin Lorenzon of the Swiss Ombudsman of Insurance said insurers can't always refuse to pay claims.
There are cases where the owners of expensive smartphones are told by their insurer to bring their phones to the restroom so as not to leave the device unsupervised on their desk. If the phone falls into the toilet, owners with insurance can claim water damage, according to Swissinfo.com.
The ombudsman is a foundation established by the Swiss Insurance Association in 1972, according to it website.
Not all of the cases that reached the national arbitration body in Switzerland last year involved water-damaged phones. Of the 3,000 cases, half involved personal insurance that includes rejected payments for sick day allowances or accident insurance, according to Swissinfo.com.
Mr. Lorenzon reportedly said that an intervention was needed in only about 300 of the 3,000 cases.
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