Vero has continued its winning streak at the annual Mansfield Awards for claims excellence, taking out the top overall honour for a fourth year. 

The insurer was presented with the Gold Mansfield after also winning the SME Property and Casualty category at an awards event at The Establishment in Sydney last week. 

LMI Executive Chairman Allan Manning says it was a close contest, while overall more of the insurer claims ratings went up during the past 12 months than went down, in a reversal of the previous year. 

“With Vero they continue to really impress their claim customer base with the key areas that we rate on, that is speed of service, proactiveness, accuracy and fairness,” Dr Manning told insuranceNEWS.com.au. 

The Personal Lines award was presented to Budget Direct, Zurich Australia took out Corporate Property and Casualty, and Specialty was won by transport and logistics insurer NTI. Winners of the various categories contend for the Gold Mansfield. 

The Purple Mansfield, recognising a company or individual that has gone above and beyond and provided a service that has made a real difference to a client or a community, went to Nick Albrecht from Allianz for his response in assisting a client in a sensitive domestic violence situation. 

The Mansfield Awards, run by LMI Group and sponsored by Steadfast Claims Solutions and icare, were dedicated this year to former Australian Insurance Law Association WA president Greg Pynt who died suddenly this month in Perth. 

The awards, in their seventh year, are named in honour of the British Lord Chief Justice who introduced the industry to the principle of utmost good faith some 250 years ago and are run as a not-for-profit event. 

Category winners and finalists were: 

Personal lines
Winner: Budget Direct. Other finalists: Allianz, Hollard, Insurance Australia Limited, QBE. 

SME Property and Casualty
Winner: Vero. Other finalists: Allianz, CGU, Hollard, QBE. 

Corporate Property and Casualty 
Winner: Zurich. Other finalists: Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance, FM Global/AFM, HDI Global Specialty, Liberty Specialty Markets. 

Specialty  
Winner: NTI. Other finalists: EBM RentCover, GT Insurance, Interruption Underwriting Agencies.