New Year’s damage claims rise as more fires reported across the Netherlands

Damage reports related to New Year’s celebrations are gradually rising. At insurer NN, the number of claims had doubled by Friday morning compared with the day before, totaling 50 to 60 reports from private customers, according to a company spokesperson. NN also manages the insurance brands ING Verzekeringen, OHRA, ASN Verzekeringen, and ABN AMRO Verzekeringen.

By Friday morning, Univé had received 57 claims. Four were related to vandalism, with the remaining cases caused by fires. The combined financial damage is estimated at 80,000 euros.

Both insurers note that the current figures are far from the final total. People often do not report damage right away, and claims submitted via advisers or intermediaries have yet to reach the companies. At NN, for instance, business insurance claims are always processed through an adviser.

The Dutch Association of Insurers is set to release an estimate of insured damages on January 12. Achmea, which manages the Centraal Beheer and Interpolis brands, stated it will not disclose any numbers before that date.

On Thursday, ASR, another insurer, said it had received several dozen claims, including for roof fires and a café fire. The company could not be reached for comment on Friday.

The Netherlands Institute for Public Safety (NIPV) reported on Friday that far more cars and homes caught fire over New Year’s compared with previous years. House fires, in particular, have doubled in the past two years. NN says this increase has not yet appeared in its claims data, and Univé says it is too early to compare.