Insurer’s failure to decide objection for over a year is denial of justice

ATA/82/1998Court of Justice / Administrative ChamberFeb 10, 1998Granted

Extracted by Omnilex

Omnilex summary

In an accident-insurance dispute, the insurer had issued a contested decision but then failed to render a decision on opposition for more than one and a half years. The court held that this inactivity amounted to a denial of justice and therefore granted relief. The case turns on the insured person’s right to obtain a timely decision from the insurer.

Omnilex headnote

LAA 6; denial of justice through failure to issue a decision on opposition within a reasonable time; the authority is in breach of its duty to decide when it remains inactive for an excessive period without sufficient justification. A delay of more than one and a half years after the contested decision is incompatible with the right to obtain a decision and constitutes denial of justice.

Full text

Descripteurs

ASSURANCE SOCIALE; ACCIDENT; AA; DROIT D'OBTENIR UNE DECISION; ASSU

Normes

LAA.6

Résumé

Commet un déni de justice, l'assureur qui ne rend pas de décision sur opposition plus d'un an et demi après avoir rendu la décision querellée.

Keywords

social insuranceaccident insurancedenial of justiceright to a decisionreasonable time

Extracted by Omnilex

Key legal questions extracted by Omnilex

Key legal question

Whether the insurer committed a denial of justice by failing to decide the opposition within a reasonable time.

Extracted holding

Yes. A delay of more than one and a half years after the contested decision, without issuing a decision on opposition, constitutes a denial of justice.

Extracted reasoning

The right to obtain a decision requires the authority to act within a reasonable time; the prolonged inactivity was unjustified.

Insurer’s failure to decide objection for over a year is denial of justiceAI generated