Forklar MegUnderstand the letter you received
An insurance claim must be notified within a deadline. The Act sets an outer limit, and the policy terms may set a shorter one.
Section 8-5 of the Insurance Contracts Act states that notice of the insured event must be given within reasonable time after the insured became aware of the loss. Unless a shorter deadline is set in the terms, the deadline is one year.
The starting point is when the insured became aware of the loss. A loss discovered late starts the clock late — but the burden of showing when that knowledge arose rests with the party claiming.
The insurer must highlight the deadline in the policy document. Where it is not highlighted, that may bear on whether a shorter contractual deadline can be relied on.
Forklar Meg is not a lawyer and does not give legal advice. The page explains what the rule says — it does not assess your case.