From an insurance perspective, New Year’s Day has long been the calmest day of the year, while summer storms represent the busiest period.
According to the insurer’s annual summary, only 10 claims were reported on the first day of 2025, with January 1 having been similarly uneventful for years. This year, the busiest period was week 28, when the storms that swept through on July 7 and 8 resulted in the highest number of claims so far: nearly 16,000 home insurance claims were filed during that time.
On an annual basis, however, weather was not the main source of problems. More than 30,000 claims were submitted due to sewer-related issues and damage caused by piped water, the statement said.
According to the announcement, the largest single payout this year—almost 75 million forints—was made for a fire-related claim. Among vehicle owners, the record payouts were 16 million forints each, paid under compulsory motor liability insurance and casco insurance, both for collision damage. Among those with home insurance, the top claimant reported 21 separate losses this year, while one casco customer totaled their car four times. The ranking of settlements was led by Debrecen and Budapest’s 11th district, where most of the claims reported this year were caused by severe summer storms.
As an interesting side note, the most common first names among claimants were László and Mária. At Groupama, dog owners take out pet insurance nearly ten times more often than cat owners. Under this type of insurance, claims were mostly related to treatments due to accidents and illnesses, with the average payout amounting to 71,000 forints, they added.
(MTI)
