Mrs Bingham's forefinger prodded the line in the insurance renewal form that asks about her beloved husband's criminal offences. "You haven't told them about being caught by the speed camera last year." More prodding. She read out the health warning on the form: if I failed to disclose a change of circumstances when renewing, the insurer is entitled to void the policy. Laker-Vent Engineering is a contractor with a sensible policy. It's called the "contractors protection services policy". Sensible, because this insurance covers it in the world of disputomania - it is its legal expenses insurance cover. That, my dear friends, is a commercial plus in my book. Each year Laker-Vent filled in its renewal form. Then in February 2005 it found itself in a heavy dispute with a customer for ME works on Cottam power station in Nottinghamshire. As you might expect, it called in its legal costs cover with Templeton insurance company. This is the nervy part of the insurance game. Nervy because the insurance outfit begins to ask awkward questions about "circumstances". Eventually, Templeton said it would not give cover for two reasons. The first was that at the time of renewal, the contractor failed to disclose that it was in an "escalating dispute" regarding this Cottam contract. Second, it failed to comply with the claims notification procedure required by the policy rules. Laker-Vent brought the insurer to court over the question of whether it was covered or not.
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