Where the loss actually happens
The physical risk still sits squarely in transit. Andrew Mitchell, fine art underwriter at Hiscox in London, has told Insurance Business UK that “the main driver of fine art claims is accidental damage,” with roughly half arising specifically while an object is being moved rather than sitting on display. The treaty reflects that directly: it specifies that vibration during transport must be reduced to under 2 millimetres per second, a figure drawn from a 2022 French engineering study that Jeffares argues was never validated as a safe threshold for a specific, degraded 1,000-year-old textile, only as a general benchmark.
Stuart Dean, Director and Head of Signature Claims Services at Criterion Adjusters, echoes that focus on prevention. “When an artefact is genuinely irreplaceable, the focus shifts from indemnity to prevention,” he said. “The real challenge lies in the risk management and planning needed to ensure a loss never occurs, plus a consideration towards the conservation expertise and associated costs in the event of damage. Our experience investigatin claims where things have gone wrong also means we’re often asked to review and challenge transit plans before a journey begins, to assist with the prevention element.”
