Injured passengers don’t claim insurance — Titus-Glover

A Deputy Minister of Transport, Mr Daniel Nii Kwartey Titus Glover, has observed that passengers of commercial vehicles that are involved in road accidents do not make claims for injuries or out-of-pocket expenses incurred as a result of those crashes.

That was in spite of the fact that the Motor Vehicles Act (1958) made it mandatory for any motor insurance policy to cover the financial liability of third parties who were harmed through accidents involving the insured, the deputy minister said in Accra.

“When people get injured in an accident and survive, they thank God and move on,” he said at the second Ghana Insurance Awards on July 26.

This, he said, needed to be stopped.

He said although the law existed, not every passenger was aware that he or she was entitled to some compensation should anything happen.

Consequently, he advised passengers to always make claims for expenses incurred as a result of accidents.

He also advised insurance companies to honour such claims to help cater for the passengers, as well as endear the image of the industry to the populace.

Ministry to act

To help reverse  the situation, Mr Titus-Glover said the ministry would soon make it compulsory for all long-distance vehicle operators to take the names and addresses of all passengers on board vehicles at all times.

That, he said, would enable the ministry to push for all the claims entitled to the passengers should there be any accident.

He also noted that insurance companies in the country were doing little in terms of educating the public on third-party claims, and urged them to do more, as it would help give insurance a positive image.

Motor insurance policy

Mr Titus-Glover’s advice comes at a time when road accidents are a major public safety issue.

Data from the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service indicates that 1,252 people lost their lives through road accidents in the first half of 2019.

Out of this number, 540 were killed through accidents involving commercial vehicles, while 3,788 people sustained varying degrees of injuries.

It, however, remains unknown how many out of these people made claims for compensations due them.

Generally, motor insurance policies cover the financial liabilities of occupants in the event that the insured vehicle gets involved in a vehicular accident and harm is caused to any third party or property.

Award winners

Meanwhile, 44 companies and individuals were honoured at the awards night, which sought to promote the growth of the insurance industry through progressive competition, innovation and adherence to the highest professional standards.

The nominees sat at their various tables, looking all agog with suspense written all over their faces.

In the end, Enterprise Group was the biggest winner, bagging five awards: the Life Insurance Company of the year, General Insurance Company of the year, Commercial Line Insurer of the year, the ICT Leadership Award (insurance category) and the Marketing Initiative of the year.

The Chief Executive Officer of Enterprise Life, a subsidiary of the group, Mrs Jacqueline Benyi, also won the Woman of Excellence award.

In the Private Health Insurance category, NMH Nationwide Medical Insurance was the biggest winner, walking away with the Private Health Insurance Company of the year and the ICT Leadership Award.

Other winners

The CEO of the company, Mrs Nancy Ampah, won the CEO of the year in the private health category, with another staff of the company, Mr Daniel Gyasi Nyarko, also winning the Unsung Hero Award.

The Glico Group also won the Personal Line Insurer of the year award, Best Insurance Group and the Indigenous Company of the Year (private health category)

SIC Insurance Company also walked away with the Brand of the Year award, with the CEO of SIC Life, Mrs Elizabeth Wyns Dogbe, winning the CEO of the Year (Life Insurance Category).

Starlife Assurance Company Limited won the Best Growing Company, Indigenous insurance Company of the year, Customer care service award, with Cosmopolitan Health Insurance winning the product innovation award, with its CEO, Mrs Beatrice Amponsah, winning the Leadership Excellence Award in Healthcare.

Other individual awards

The Managing Director of the Ghana Union Assurance Company, who doubles as the President of the Ghana Insurers Association, Ms Aretha Duku, was adjudged the Insurance Personality of the year, while the Lifetime Achievement Award went to Mr Daniel Kwaku Afryie.

The CEO of Activa International, Mr Solomon Lartey, won the CEO of the year (General Insurance category).