Zurich Insurance opposes accident indemnity claim by Crans-Montana bar owner

Insurer opposition to compensation claim

Zurich Insurance is preparing to legally challenge a daily accident indemnity claim filed by Jessica Moretti, co-owner of the Constellation bar in Crans-Montana where a New Year's Eve fire killed 41 people and injured 115. Sources close to the company confirmed that Zurich considers the compensation demand unfounded and intends to use all available legal instruments to oppose it. Moretti submitted the claim under the Swiss Federal Law on Accident Insurance (Lainf) for loss of earnings caused by health damage after the 1 January 2026 blaze. While the Valais Cantonal Prosecution granted procedural clearance for potential payments, company sources clarified that the authorization is strictly tied to Moretti's frozen bank accounts and does not evaluate the merits of the case or obligate the insurer to pay.

Disputed coverage and previous sick leave

The legal dispute emerged from correspondence between Zurich and Valais prosecutors in Sion, who were asked whether any daily allowances should be directed to Moretti's bank account or transferred straight to the prosecutor's office. Prosecutors had instructed the company to clarify the specific foundation and type of indemnity it considered recognizing before any disbursement could occur. Case files also revealed an inquiry by another insurer, Hotela Assurance SA of Montreux, into Moretti's prior benefits. Hotela records show that until 31 December 2025, just hours before the blaze, Moretti was listed as unfit for work and receiving sick leave benefits stemming from an accident on 21 November 2025. Hotela requested access to the criminal investigation dossier from the Sion prosecution to determine her salary before the incident and verify her entitlement to daily indemnities during that period.

Victim families react to the filing

The compensation request generated strong criticism from relatives of victims injured in the blaze. Umberto Marcucci, whose son Manfredi was severely burned and hospitalized for months at the Niguarda hospital in Milan before returning to Rome, condemned the move while preparing for his son's upcoming seven-to-eight-hour hand surgery requiring ten days of inpatient care.

If the insurance company should deem this request unfounded it will only be a good thing, because theirs is an indecent proposal that must be sent back to the sender.

Marcucci stated that Moretti should have been the last person to leave the burning premises rather than seeking health damages.

Legal restrictions and criminal inquiry

The fire started when a pyrotechnic fountain candle affixed to a champagne bottle ignited the ceiling, spreading flames rapidly through a crowd of about 200 people. Attendees fled through smoke and an insufficient emergency exit, with several patrons escaping by smashing a glass window. Jacques and Jessica Moretti are among 16 defendants facing charges of involuntary manslaughter and negligent fire, with both claiming they believed the pyrotechnic candles complied with safety rules and had fire department authorization. Jessica Moretti remains under judicial supervision requiring her to report to authorities and stay at her residence in Lens, while Jacques Moretti was jailed on 11 August 2026 on domestic violence charges involving his wife and remains detained until at least 11 November 2026. A Valais cantonal police report noted that Moretti expressed anxiety over potential hostility from victims' relatives ahead of the first anniversary of the disaster.