Disputes Tribunal Act 1988, ss 28, 29, 35, 38
If you’re the applicant, and your claim is or might be covered by insurance, you must provide your insurance company details on the claim form. You should also let your insurance company know that you are making the claim. The Registrar of the court should also notify your insurer of the proceedings.
If you are the respondent, you can choose whether you let your insurance company know.
For example: You have car insurance, and you get into a car accident with someone else, and both cars get damaged. If the other car was at fault, and you’re applying to the Disputes Tribunal to get them to pay for the damage to your car, you have to tell your insurer. If you were at fault, and the other person is trying to make you pay for the damage to their car, you might prefer to just pay privately, and not make an insurance claim – in that case, you don’t have to tell your insurer.
If an insurance company has paid or might have to pay out on a claim, they are entitled to have someone attend the Disputes Tribunal hearing on their behalf. They will usually have an experienced attendee who acts as an agent for the company.
An insurance company can also apply to the Tribunal themselves if they have a dispute. For example, an insurance company may take an uninsured driver to the Tribunal to recover costs it has already paid out to one of its clients.