Property Insurance Claim for a Lightning-Damaged Transformer at a Gas Station: No Maintenance Records, Yet the Full Pre-VAT Claim of THB 409,500 Was Approved

At around 3:00 p.m. on 11 September 2026, lightning struck a gas station in Bang Lamung, Chonburi. The station's 250 kVA transformer exploded and its electrical system was affected, so the owner had to bring in an electrician for emergency repairs to get the station operating again.

The business holds an Industrial All Risks (IAR) property insurance policy with Dhipaya Insurance, placed through Benjamin, which covers damage to electrical equipment up to THB 500,000. Benjamin's claims team received the report from the client over LINE, gathered photos, videos and incident details, and notified the insurer right away.

Transformer claims are often questioned on cause. A transformer can fail from an external peril such as lightning, or from age-related wear, which property policies generally do not cover.

This case carried several risks at once:

• No maintenance records: The insurer asked for maintenance and inspection records of the transformer's oil insulation system, including how often it was serviced each year. The client had never kept any. If the insurer viewed the damage as wear or lack of upkeep, the claim could be reduced or denied.
• Loss value unknown: At notification there was no figure yet for a replacement transformer, installation, or the emergency costs the client had already paid.
• Claims adjuster changed midway: Two weeks after notification, the insurer reassigned the case to a different loss adjusting firm, which often means delays or a fresh document review.
• Stalled after the adjustment: After the adjuster issued figures, the case waited on the insurer to issue a claim number to open the file, leaving the settlement pending for weeks.

From the start, we anchored the case on the cause of loss, lightning, which is a peril the policy covers, and answered every insurer question with facts as fast as possible.

• Proved the cause with evidence: Collected site photos, videos and a damage report from the electrical contractor who inspected the transformer after the incident, and sent them to the insurer within days.
• Built a complete cost package in the first week: A quotation for a replacement transformer of the same brand and size (THB 431,310), an installation quotation, the invoice for emergency electrical repairs, transformer inspection costs, the crane truck fee, and proof of payment for every item.
• Answered the insurer straight: When asked for maintenance records, we checked with the client and confirmed honestly that none existed rather than stalling, and supplied the other documents requested: the VAT registration certificate (Por Por 20) and the supplier's transformer quotation.
• Kept the case moving through the adjuster change: Coordinated with the new loss adjuster immediately so the case continued from the documents already submitted, without starting over.
• Reviewed the adjustment and requested a formal offer: When the adjuster sent the figures, we checked the items and totals before presenting them to the client, then asked for a formal settlement offer letter so the client could decide on a clear document.
• Followed up persistently when the file stalled: While waiting for the claim number, we chased both the adjuster and the insurer's claims officer by phone and email until the adjuster committed to finishing within the week.
• Prepared closing documents for one-time signing: Drafted the settlement acceptance letter with its supporting document list (company affidavit, a copy of the authorized signatory's ID card and a bank book copy) so the client could sign and return everything in one round.

The adjuster recommended payment under the lightning peril with no deductible. From a claimed amount of THB 435,225, the insurer agreed to pay THB 409,500. The THB 25,725 difference is VAT, which insurers do not pay to VAT-registered insureds because they can already recover it as input tax. The client was therefore reimbursed in full for the replacement transformer, installation and emergency costs, and the total stayed within the THB 500,000 limit.

The missing maintenance records did not reduce the claim. The client received the claim adjustment within about 4 weeks of the loss and signed the settlement acceptance on 5 November 2026, roughly 8 weeks from the lightning strike to an agreed settlement.

Lightning is covered by most property insurance policies, but damage to electrical equipment often has its own sub-limit. Businesses that own their transformer, such as gas stations, factories and hotels, should check that this limit covers a new transformer plus installation, since a single 250 kVA unit already costs more than THB 400,000.

Keep transformer maintenance records, such as annual insulating oil test results, because insurers commonly request them in transformer claims. Not having them does not mean the claim will fail, but it makes the case riskier and puts more weight on solid evidence of the cause.

When a loss happens, take photos and videos immediately, keep invoices and payment slips for every emergency expense, and have your VAT registration certificate (Por Por 20) ready if you are VAT-registered. A claims consultant who organizes the documents and follows up consistently keeps the case from stalling, even when the claims handler changes midway.