Multinational claims in action: six case studies

Claims services where you need them

Managing multinational claims can be a complicated process. It’s not just a matter of paying damages, medical bills, and replacement costs for property losses.

Chubb’s robust network of experienced claims professionals are on the ground in more than 50 nations and territories, supporting businesses, organizations, and employees. Our network has deep knowledge of local regulations and business practices, which is essential for resolving claims accurately, legally, and as quickly as possible.

Here are just a few examples of how Chubb’s claims team has helped clients address challenges and resolve complex, multinational claims.

1. Resolving a life sciences product liability claim across several nations

When a product has a global market, product liability claims can involve customers—as well as regulations, contracts, and policies—in many nations. A U.S.-based life sciences company faced a complex, multinational claim when its genetic testing kits produced false positive test results because the kits had passed their expiration date.

Resolving this claim in a single nation would have been complicated. In this case, the kits were sold to a distributor in Singapore, which were then resold to a company in India, which subsequently exported them to numerous other countries. Drawing on our broad claims network, Chubb developed and executed a unified plan that coordinated multiple claims and policies in compliance with local regulations across many jurisdictions.

2. Helping a wind turbine manufacturer recover from an overseas incident

Resolving liability claims can be a tangled process when an incident happens in one nation and lawsuits are filed in different jurisdictions. For example, a U.S.-headquartered wind turbine manufacturer faced lawsuits in the U.S. and the UK for an incident that occurred in the UK. A wind turbine manufactured in the U.S. malfunctioned during onsite testing in the UK as a result of work performed by contractors. Several contractors were injured, resulting in suits filed against the manufacturer in both the UK and the U.S.

Chubb’s claims team led a coordinated effort that included addressing contractual issues, conducting a claims investigation, and managing litigation in both the UK and the U.S. Despite the complexity of the case, Chubb was able to help our client resolve the claim, mitigate the risk that led to the incident, and move forward with its multinational operations.

3. Supporting injured employees after a catastrophic accident

When employees are injured, their health and recovery always come first. Chubb recognizes that employers want to focus on the well-being of their employees, but they may also need to resolve claims in a foreign country where they are unfamiliar with insurance regulations and the local healthcare system.

In one claims case, two executives of a U.S.-based company suffered devastating injuries when their car collided with a train. The incident took place in the Netherlands, where the executives were attending a conference. Chubb was able to provide on-the-ground support for the employees and represent the insured, which did not have local offices. Chubb managed foreign workers compensation coverage under Georgia state law, where the employees were based, and coordinated with counsel for the executives in resolving the claim with the responsible party—a Netherlands train system—under Dutch law.

4. Paying a claim in local currency in compliance with tribal regulations

If you do business in smaller global markets, you’ll benefit from having an insurance partner with a network of claims professionals who can respond to incidents in distant nations.

In one claims case, a Chubb client faced a judgment from a tribal court in the Kingdom of Eswatini, a small nation east of South Africa. Chubb’s claims team, coordinating with our office in South Africa, negotiated and paid the judgment in line with local regulations and customs. Payment was made with a combination of monetary currency and camels.

5. Evacuating personnel quickly and safely

In some instances, organizations and businesses with operations far from their home country need to evacuate personnel due to natural disasters, accident or illness, or political instability. As a multinational insurer with wide geographic reach, Chubb has extensive experience helping our clients’ personnel with emergency evacuations.

In one notable example, volunteers for a Chubb client contracted Ebola while working in Liberia. Chubb’s claims team coordinated with the U.S. State Department to arrange repatriation and treatment at a U.S. hospital prepared to provide required care and quarantine.

6. Supporting defense costs for company leadership overseas

The New Zealand subsidiary of a U.S.-based Chubb client, along with its directors and officers, faced criminal charges stemming from accusations that the company provided contaminated food that resulted in illness. The case concluded with guilty verdicts and individuals sentenced to time served—and the limits of the local Directors & Officers (D&O) liability policy exhausted.

Chubb’s claims team coordinated coverage between the parent company’s U.S. master policy and the local New Zealand policy. Once the local policy reached its limit, the Difference in Limits (DIL) clause in the master policy became effective, and Chubb reimbursed the U.S. parent company for a significant portion of the defense costs.