Case Studies
Six insurance claim disputes decided by the Supreme Court of India and the High Courts — fire, marine, stock, business interruption and disclosure — each read for what it means for a business buying, documenting and claiming on its insurance.
Some insurers won and some policyholders did. The pattern is the same either way: claims turn on what was disclosed, what the policy wording actually says, whether its conditions fit real operations, and whether the records support the loss.
By ClearCover, Bengaluru · Updated
Fire, marine, stock, business interruption and disclosure — one court decision each.
Supreme Court of India · 24 November 2023
A warehouse fire claim the insurer refused over the insured location and repair work. The NCDRC and the Supreme Court both sided with the insured.
Read the case studySupreme Court of India · 24 April 2019
An earlier policy left out of a proposal-form answer. The Supreme Court allowed the insurer’s appeal — a disclosure lesson for every corporate policy.
Read the case studySupreme Court of India · 7 April 2025
A barge that sailed close to the monsoon and ran aground. The Supreme Court rejected the insurer’s monsoon ground and sent the amount back to the NCDRC.
Read the case studySupreme Court of India · 24 January 2022
Potatoes that deteriorated in a cold store under a specialist stock policy. The Supreme Court ruled for the insurer on the temperature exclusion.
Read the case studySupreme Court of India (three-judge bench) · 2 May 2022
Stock insured under more than one policy. A three-judge bench ruled for the insurer on a marine-policy exclusion and double insurance.
Read the case studyTelangana High Court · 2 January 2025
A turbine incident at a 208 MW power station. Of ₹166.89 crore claimed, ₹17.79 crore survived and the business interruption claim was rejected.
Read the case studyCourt, date, type of cover and who won, for every case study.
| Case | Court | Decided | Cover | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mudit Roadways | Supreme Court of India | 24 November 2023 | Fire & property | Insured wins |
| Reliance Life | Supreme Court of India | 24 April 2019 | Disclosure | Insurer wins |
| Sohom Shipping | Supreme Court of India | 7 April 2025 | Marine | Insured wins on liability |
| Shivram Chandra Cold Storage | Supreme Court of India | 24 January 2022 | Stock & cold chain | Insurer wins |
| Levis Strauss | Supreme Court of India (three-judge bench) | 2 May 2022 | Policy wording | Insurer wins |
| Spectrum Power | Telangana High Court | 2 January 2025 | Business interruption | Partly allowed |
Where corporate insurance claims go wrong, and the case that shows it.
| Theme | What happened | Case study |
|---|---|---|
| Disclosure at the proposal stage | An earlier policy left out of a proposal-form answer | Reliance Life |
| Policy wording and exclusions | A loss outside the mechanism the cover names; stock insured under overlapping policies | Shivram Chandra Cold Storage, Levis Strauss |
| Conditions and warranties | A voyage condition tied to the onset of the monsoon | Sohom Shipping |
| Evidence and documentation | Insured-location and risk-change disputes; proving a business interruption loss | Mudit Roadways, Spectrum Power |
Each case study covers the background, a timeline, the insurance issue, the court’s reasoning in plain English, the lessons, key terms, and a checklist your team can act on. Whether your business is in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Ahmedabad or Kolkata, the same questions decide whether a claim is paid.
We read your policies against how your business actually runs — before a claim tests them.
These case studies summarise publicly reported court decisions for general information. They are not legal advice and do not replace the judgment itself or advice on your own policy wording. Every outcome turns on its own facts and policy terms. ClearCover is the brand of MDH Insurance, an IRDAI-registered Direct Broker (Registration No. 596).
