NANA NKANSAH BOADU AYEBOAFO vs. STATE INSURANCE COMPANY LTD [2018]DLHC6296

Date	2018-07-12
Suit No.	CM/TINS/00009/16
Citation No.	[2018]DLHC6296

JUSTICE JENNIFER A. DODOO (MRS)

RALPH POKU-ADUSEI FOR PLAINTIFF

KWAMI ADORBOR FOR DEFENDANT

[2018]DLHC6296
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >NANA NKANSAH BOADU AYEBOAFO<o:p></o:p>{PLAINTIFF}<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>STATE INSURANCE COMPANY LTD<o:p></o:p>{DEFENDANT}<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT (COMMERCIAL DIVISION),
ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

</div>COUNSEL: <o:p></o:p>RALPH
POKU-ADUSEI FOR PLAINTIFF<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

KWAMI
ADORBOR FOR DEFENDANT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>JUSTICE
JENNIFER A. DODOO (MRS) JUSTICE OF THE HIGH COURT<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
border-left:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;border-right:none;
padding:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%;
border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:
solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
Plaintiff claimed against the Defendant the following reliefs:<o:p></o:p><ol style="margin-top:0in" start="1" type="1">
 <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1">The
 recovery of the sum of GH¢850,000.00 being the sum insured under an insurance
 policy contract number P/101/20/2002/15 duly entered into between the
 Plaintiff and the Defendant sometime in February 2012.<o:p></o:p></li>
 <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1">Interest
 on the said sum at the current commercial rate from October 2013 to the
 date of final payment.<o:p></o:p></li>
 <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1">Damages
 for breach of contract.<o:p></o:p></li>
 <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1">Costs,
 inclusive of Solicitor’s fees assessed at 15% of the sum insured.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
Plaintiff in his Statement of Claim contended that in February 2012, he had insured
his 6 storey building situate, lying and being at Achimota with the Defendant.&nbsp; The sum insured was GH¢850,000.00 with a
premium of GH¢4,355.00.&nbsp; According to the
Plaintiff, the Defendant had issued him with policy number
P/101/20/2002.2012/15 in respect of the said building.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>It
was the Plaintiff’s case that sometime on 7th November 2012, the
risk insured occurred when the property insured collapsed.&nbsp; However, when he made a claim on the
Defendant to make good on the insurance claim, the Defendant in turn demanded
the tenancy agreement on the building, a valuation report and a copy of the
Government report on the incident.&nbsp; Out
of the 3 documents requested, he could only provide the tenancy agreement.
Without the rest of the documents, the Defendant refused to settle the claim.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
Defendant resisted the claim stating that Plaintiff filled in a proposal form
in respect of the six storey building but did not pay any premium. While
admitting that the sum insured was GH¢850,000.00 with a premium of GH¢4,355.00,
the Defendant averred that the said premium was not paid until after the
collapse of the building on 7th November 2012.&nbsp; It was its case that its liability to pay up
the claim would only result after the premium had been paid in full before the
occurrence of the risk.&nbsp; It contended
that the Plaintiff only rushed to pay the premium after the building had
already collapsed.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
Defendant contended further that its officers overlooked the non-payment of
premium and offered to settle the claim subject to the condition that the
Plaintiff provided proof of the value of the collapsed building either by
producing a valuation report or bills of quantities.&nbsp; The Plaintiff had till date failed to do so.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
issues set down for trial were:<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><ol style="margin-top:0in" start="1" type="1">
 <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2">Whether
 or not the Defendant issued an insurance policy in favour of the Plaintiff
 based on an insured sum and an assessed premium?<o:p></o:p></li>
 <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2">Whether
 or not the Defendant had a policy in which premiums were paid by installments?<o:p></o:p></li>
 <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2">Whether
 or not the Plaintiff paid up the agreed premium by installments and
 timeously?<o:p></o:p></li>
 <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2">Whether
 or not the Defendant cashed the cheques delivered to it by the Plaintiff
 in payment of the premiums in good time?<o:p></o:p></li>
 <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2">Whether
 or not premiums were received after the collapse of the building </main>