After a fire or other damage, a business may produce or sell less for weeks. Repairs to machines and buildings are then only part of the problem. Business interruption insurance may, under its conditions, cover financial consequences of that disruption. It is no general guarantee against every turnover reduction. Investigate the insured cause, location, calculation method and period. This guide helps business owners with a claim or dispute under Dutch law, focusing on verifiable figures and agreements needed before final loss settlement.
Sources (5)
- Ondernemersplein/KVK — bedrijfsschadeverzekering
- Nationale-Nederlanden — bedrijfsschadeverzekering
- Nationale-Nederlanden — voorbeeldvoorwaarden BED100.2503
- De Goudse — voorbeeldvoorwaarden bedrijfsschade BDS-2601
- Officiële bekendmakingen — vernummerde tekst titel 7.17 BW, artikelen 941, 953, 954, 957 en 960
On this page
1. Check which disruption the policy insures
Start with the loss event and business activities on the schedule. Many business interruption policies link cover to a defined event causing material damage. Extensions may apply to particular disruptions outside the business itself, for example. This does not mean every breakdown, government measure, cyberattack or supplier failure is insured. Ask which coverage provision the insurer applies and which causal connection with business stoppage must be demonstrated.
Prepare inventory, stock and buildings insurance alongside the interruption policy. These covers have different purposes and may involve different insurers. Reimbursement of repair costs does not automatically prove how financial consequential loss is handled. Record which policy handles which damage. If rejected, ask whether the dispute concerns cause, insured location, an exclusion or financial consequences so you collect the right evidence.
2. Do not equate gross profit with turnover
The policy may use reduced gross profit, a concept with its own definition in insurance terms. Reduced turnover is therefore not automatically the amount payable. Costs avoided because of stoppage and revenue obtained elsewhere may matter. Ask your accountant to compare the policy definition with your accounts. A usual financial-statement item bearing the same name need not produce precisely the same calculation.
Prepare a verifiable comparison of the expected course without the event and actual course afterwards. Support expectations with earlier periods, order books and demonstrable developments. Process seasonality and growth separately without presenting an optimistic budget as an established result. Have every adjustment explained. This shows which loss is attributed to the covered disruption and which may, for example, have arisen from an existing fall in demand.
3. Preserve records showing the disruption
Collect monthly figures, sales data, purchasing costs, payroll records and outstanding orders. Also preserve technical reports, photographs, customer notifications and correspondence about supply problems. Describe for each business segment when operations stopped and when they became possible again. A low bank balance alone does not show insured interruption loss. A clear link between incident, operational restriction and financial consequences is more useful than many disorganised documents.
Start a separate overview of costs and receipts after the incident. For each item state date, supplier, necessity and any consent. Keep original files and make corrections traceable. Agree with your accountant which figures are provisional and when final figures become available. Explicitly inform the expert of missing data. A provisional estimate can assist handling provided assumptions still requiring checking remain clear.
4. Monitor the indemnity period and recovery path
The indemnity period is the period over which business interruption loss is assessed under the policy. Its start, maximum duration and possible ending grounds appear in the terms. Maximum duration is no promise of payment throughout. Conversely, technical repair of a machine need not prove the business immediately operates at its former level. Have the specific arrangement assessed alongside actual repair and restart progress.
Prepare a schedule showing order dates, delivery times, permits, repairs and trial production. Record why steps are delayed and alternatives investigated. Consider consequences of relocation, sale or deciding not to reopen: special provisions may apply. Ask promptly how the insurer assesses those choices. A schedule helps discuss necessary duration but does not replace proof that the claimed damage falls within the insured period.
5. Limit loss and discuss additional costs
Investigate reasonable mitigation options such as temporary workspace, replacement equipment or outsourcing. Safety and practical feasibility remain important. For each option compare costs, expected time saved and loss avoided. Send this substantiation to the handler and request a clear response. Also keep rejected quotations. Investigation of alternatives may later explain why a chosen solution was reasonable or why continuation remained temporarily impossible.
Not every post-incident expense automatically falls under the same arrangement. Statutory mitigation costs, supplementary additional-cost cover and ordinary repair costs must be distinguished. Ask under which provision an expense is assessed and which maximum or consent requirement applies. For urgency, carefully record necessity and communications. Do not take on expensive obligations based on a general telephone statement that the insurer will think along with your business.
6. Read the insured sum, deductible and expert agreements
Check whether the insured sum matches the agreed basis and annual declarations were made. A policy may provide for underinsurance, overinsurance or a guarantee, each with its own conditions. No universal rule says higher turnover always produces a particular reduction. Request the calculation used and specific contractual provision. Also record waiting period, deductible and any maxima per extension before expecting a net amount.
Ask the expert what their instructions cover and whether the report concerns only amount or also cause. Check figures and assumptions before signing a determination. If you want your own expert, discuss policy procedure, costs and possible binding effect of an expert arrangement. A calculation difference may require a different approach from a legal disagreement about cover. Clearly record which points remain unsettled.
7. Arrange liquidity and careful completion
A fictional example: a shop reopens after water damage but part of its range returns later. The owner claims all missing turnover during closure and restart. Assessment requires saved purchasing costs, temporary sales and delivery information alongside closure dates. A weekly comparison may narrow the dispute. The example illustrates a file approach and predicts no cover or outcome for a real water-damage claim.
For payment difficulties, ask whether an advance on a sufficiently clear part of the claim is possible. Distinguish an advance from a final settlement. For settlement, check which periods, costs and unknown consequences are closed. Also monitor your own payment arrangements and legal deadlines. Submit a disputed calculation or rejection to an expert or lawyer experienced in insurance law. A business complaint cannot be submitted to Kifid without a jurisdiction assessment.
Frequently asked questions
Does business interruption insurance reimburse all lost turnover?
Not automatically. The policy sets the basis, often reduced gross profit, and conditions concerning cause, period and costs.
Does the insurer pay until the maximum indemnity period expires?
That does not follow from the maximum. Actual insured loss, recovery developments and conditions governing the period’s end matter.
Can I rent temporary premises without consultation?
Investigate necessity and conditions and, where possible, request written clarity beforehand about cover and costs. Carefully document urgent choices.
Sources
These sources relate to this page. For a specific case, check current rules and your own documents.
- Ondernemersplein/KVK — bedrijfsschadeverzekering Accessed: 2026-10-23
- Nationale-Nederlanden — bedrijfsschadeverzekering Accessed: 2026-10-23
- Nationale-Nederlanden — voorbeeldvoorwaarden BED100.2503 Accessed: 2026-10-23
- De Goudse — voorbeeldvoorwaarden bedrijfsschade BDS-2601 Accessed: 2026-10-23
- Officiële bekendmakingen — vernummerde tekst titel 7.17 BW, artikelen 941, 953, 954, 957 en 960 Accessed: 2026-10-23
Legal review
Not legally reviewed yetThis version has not been reviewed by a lawyer or legal professional. Checking sources or editing text is not legal approval.
Editorial team Insurance law in the Netherlands
We connect explanations to sources and record targeted changes. Legal review is attributed only to the actual reviewed version, with a real reviewer, date and scope. Human legal review of these articles remains open.
Ricardo van der Spoel
Editorial responsibility · Editorial organisation and technology