Poland
Polish law gives insurers a hard 30-day clock and forces them to justify any rejection in writing. The Rzecznik Finansowy (Financial Ombudsman) intervenes on your behalf, free of charge, and Polish courts have grown increasingly consumer-friendly on total-loss disputes.
Insurance and Reinsurance Activity Act · Polish Civil Code (Kodeks Cywilny) · Compulsory Insurance Act
Your key rights
30-day payment deadline
The insurer must complete loss adjustment and pay within 30 days of being notified. If the case is genuinely complex, it must explain the delay and pay within 14 days of resolving the outstanding issue.
Detailed written denial required
Insurers must explain in writing — with specifics — when denying or reducing a claim. Vague rejections are not legally sufficient.
Rzecznik Finansowy
The Financial Ombudsman provides free assistance and can intervene directly on your behalf in disputes with insurers.
Right to your own valuation
You can obtain an independent assessment to challenge the insurer's szkoda całkowita (total-loss) calculation.
Pro-consumer Supreme Court trend
Polish courts have been increasingly consumer-friendly. Note: a 2024 Sąd Najwyższy ruling requires claimants who sell or repair before settlement to evidence actual costs rather than hypothetical estimates.
3 years from reporting the loss, expiring at the end of the calendar year
Article 819 §4 KC — limitation runs from the day on which the policyholder receives the insurer's written declaration on the merits or denial of the claim.
Free ombudsman service. Can intervene with the insurer directly and issue a binding-by-effect opinion that is highly persuasive in court.
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