Hi all,

There has been some smoke damage to our apartment as a result of a chimney fire in the restaurant below. The fire raged in the chimney and since there is an access port in the appartment, it was blown open and smoke billowed out.

Clearly the fault is not mine, and yet I've been asked to contact my 3rd party insurer (Vaudois) and request a formulaire which the buildings owner and architect would fill out on my behalf.

Is this normal? Surely the full liability must rest with the restaurant?

In all my years in Switzerland I've been fortunate not to have needed my insurance coverage so I can't say if your situation is normal or not. If I were you I'd call my insurer and explain what happen, I'm sure they can give you the correct advice on just whose insurance is suppose to cover the damage.

Before you do the above get a hold of the Restaurants insurance details, tell him that your insurer has requested them and forward these details to your insurer.

Treat it in the same fashion as if you were involved in car accident as third party, also advise the police authorites that you are going to make a claim and see if they have report number on this for you to pass onto your Insurance

Good luck

Yes, I believe it would be normal.

In almost every insurance situation, the insured party must deal directly with their insurer. Because that's where the contractual relationship lies. And then the claim is officially lodged by a party that is known to have insurance.

Then the insurer will sort out the liability and whether he needs to contact any other insurer to sort out payment.

The same would happen in a car crash. Each party advises their respective insurers, and the insurers sort out the paperwork and who ultimately pays for the damages. That's their job, that's what you pay them for.

So it is perfectly normal for the other building tenants to expect you to contact your insurer to file a claim.

Your insurer will then claim against the restaurant's insurer, that's how the system works.

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Thanks, thats exactly what has just happened. The restaurant contacted Vaudois on my behalf and at 8:30 this morning a bespectacled gentleman was on my door step. He inspected the damage and then said that the company would pay for it, and then deal with the restaurant to sort out the liabilities.

Very impressed by the speed and efficiency

And that is what insurance is for

Nice to know the system works sometimes!