“These processes tend to be a bit longer. We have already paid expenses for all these victims, let’s say. Expenses for hospital treatments, travel, to the families,” stated Rogério Campos Henriques in an interview with Antena 1 and Jornal de Negócios, released this weekend.
According to the executive, this type of process “typically is lengthy because there is a lack of a very clear definition of the compensation amounts in fatality cases.”
Rogério Campos Henriques pointed out that to reach this value, several variables need to be considered, such as the victim’s age, family situation, incurred moral damages, or even the identification of heirs, making it a long process.
“It is a process that will take time; what we assure is that, regardless of how long this process takes, no one is left unsupported,” added the executive, who did not want to specify the amount provisioned by the insurer for this case, noting that “there are several million euros.”
The derailment of the Glória elevator, under the management of the municipal company Carris, occurred on September 3 and resulted in 16 deaths and two dozen injuries, among Portuguese and foreigners of various nationalities.
In the same interview, conducted as part of the program Conversa Capital, Rogério Campos Henriques noted that there has been a slowdown in the number of health insurance policies—Multicare insures over 1,200,000 people—and “an increase, primarily in usage.”
“Health insurance in Portugal, when it was created, had a complementary perspective, adding a layer of service, convenience, which, in recent years, due to some difficulties within the National Health Service (SNS), has expanded, and therefore, there is more supply and people use health insurance more,” he stated, saying that this “also explains why the cost of health insurance has been rising.”
Regarding the increase in insurance premiums, Rogério Campos Henriques estimated that health insurance prices should continue to rise next year, but below the 7% recorded this year, and that the increase should also occur in other sectors.
In the automotive sector, the executive noted that there has not been a decrease in the number of claims and that the cost of repairs has increased. In particular, he pointed out that the average cost of repairing electric vehicles is higher than that of internal combustion vehicles.
Regarding severe weather events, such as Martinho and Cláudia, the CEO of Fidelidade noted that “they cost tens of millions of euros, in total.”
On the construction of the new headquarters of the Bank of Portugal in Entrecampos, Rogério Campos Henriques said that it is progressing and the schedule is being followed, having already spoken with the new governor, Álvaro Santos Pereira.
