Seymour gym owner still denied insurance payout nearly four years after 2022 floods

On October 13, 2022, rain began filling the street outside a Seymour gym, prompting the owner, Adam Griffiths, to call police and sandbag the premises before river floodwaters hit the town. He claims stormwater inundated the facility, damaging floors and equipment, yet Hollard has maintained that floodwater caused the loss and denied his claim. Five neighboring businesses on the same block later had their initial denials reversed after proving stormwater damage, but Hollard’s stance persisted, supported by an internal hydrologist.

The Australian Financial Complaints Authority reviewed the case and found insufficient proof of stormwater-only damage, upholding the insurer’s refusal. Griffiths has been working a second job to rebuild and plans to submit additional hydrological analysis to the AFCA in hopes of reversing the decision. Local insurance consultant TR Keller criticized insurers for relying on single expert reports without further scrutiny.