Claims

For all claims, please feel free to ring any of the team here in the office during normal working hours and we will do our utmost to help and offer advice. We may ask you to call the insurer’s own claims line, as the response to your needs may be a lot quicker by contacting them direct.

Motor and Household Claims

All of the insurance companies that we deal with will have a dedicated claims telephone number in their policy documentation. We suggest that you keep this number handy, by a telephone at home in the case of household insurance, or in the glove compartment of your vehicle in the case of motor insurance.

We are available to assist you should you need further guidance and advice regarding your claim.

Commercial Property Damage Claims

There are many aspects to property damage including buildings, contents, plant, stock and business interruption. Please contact us and we will advise the most appropriate course of action.

This may involve further communication by e-mail, the completion of a claim form or the appointment of a loss adjuster.

Often 2 estimates will be required for repair or replacement of the damaged item and insurers are likely to request proof of purchase of contents stolen or damaged.

Theft or malicious damage claims should be reported to the police as soon as possible.

Liability Claims

This may involve an injury to an employee or member of the public or damage to their property. It is imperative that you notify us of any incident that may lead to a claim as soon as possible.

The recent Ministry of Justice reforms give insurers much tighter timetables to investigate and establish liability and hence they require notification as early as possible to assist with this process.

Your policy will often contain a ‘claims condition’ requiring you to notify potential claims within a certain timeframe (often ‘immediately upon knowledge of a potential claim’) and if you breach this condition your insurer may refuse to deal with your claim.

Please notify us as soon as possible and make sure that the circumstances are not discussed with the third party and that liability is not accepted. All correspondence should be passed to us immediately to be answered by your insurers.

If the claim is for injury, the incident should be noted in your accident book. It is usual that a Loss Adjuster will be appointed by your Insurers to investigate injury claims and documents such as the accident book, and training records (for employees) will need to be made available. Please bear in mind that if an injury lasts longer than three days, is a disease or could be classed as a ‘dangerous occurrence’, you may need to report this incident to RIDDOR. Please check out the government RIDDOR website (http://www.hse.gov.uk/riddor/) or download their simple explanatory leaflet if you have any questions concerning this.

Motor Fleet Claims

Most insurers have dedicated helplines for motor incidents including windscreen claims. By calling the helpline, which is listed on your policy documentation, this will enable them to obtain details of the circumstances of the incident more quickly. They may also be able to book your vehicle in for repairs at one of the garages within their approved repairer network.

If you have been involved in an incident that you consider to be your driver’s fault, please make sure that the circumstances are not discussed with the third party and liability is not accepted. All correspondence should be passed to us immediately to be answered by your insurers.

Take special care with Professional Indemnity policies

If you become aware of any claim, or circumstances which could lead to a claim, you must notify your broker or insurer immediately – IN WRITING. Failure to do so could jeopardise your position.

Many situations can be recognised as a potential claim before they actually become a formal legal action. Look carefully at the notification provisions of your cover and be sure to follow them. Danger signs include:

• A verbal complaint from a dissatisfied customer, or the threat to ‘take the matter further’
• A letter of complaint with allegations of neglect, error or omission.
• A customer refusing to settle or delaying settlement of an account for an unreasonable length of time.

These are indications of the type of circumstance that may arise; it is not an exhaustive list. If you are in doubt as to whether a particular situation constitutes a ‘circumstance’, you are advised to inform your broker or insurer so as to keep your interests protected.

After notifying us of any ‘circumstance’, you should be careful not to prejudice your, or the insurer’s, position. Ideally you would do nothing; but if you do, always seek advice before trying to remedy the situation. You could make it worse. If you are pushed for a response from a complainant, advise them that you are “looking into the matter” and will get back to him/her when you have further information. Any other action might leave you without insurance if it was not sanctioned by your insurer.