Successfully negotiating claims since 1867
The importance of a hands on approach
In September 2017 we were contacted by a very frustrated central London Architects practice who were having difficulty progressing a claim for water ingress damage. Following the incident which occurred in May 2017, the policyholder had been given virtually no guidance or support by their insurers or the loss adjusters appointed to deal with the claim. This was not helped by the fact that the loss adjusters involved were attempting to deal with this substantial loss via a remote office in Manchester. Unquestionably, their remoteness from the premises had contributed to a lack of understanding of the nature and extent of the damage and therefore also the scope of the remedial works and resultant claim.
Following our appointment, we immediately attended site and surveyed the premises. A schedule of works was quickly prepared and sent to the loss adjusters for approval. Reaching agreement on the scope of works was again frustrated by the adjusters remoteness and we eventually persuaded them to appoint a surveyor who could meet with us to review the schedule on site. Having agreed the scope of works, we then obtained competitive tenders for the work which, after protracted discussions with the loss adjusters, eventually formed the basis of the agreed claim settlement. Naturally the policyholder was kept informed of developments every step of the way.
The delays experienced both prior to and during our involvement gave rise to a formal complaint which was upheld by the insurer, also resulting in compensation being paid to the policyholder in recognition of the poor service they had received.
The claim was eventually settled satisfactorily as the attached letter of recommendation indicates.
However, the case served to demonstrate the importance of having a dedicated case handler who attends the damaged premises and liaises with the policyholder throughout the process, as opposed to remote office based claims handling, this having been a major factor in the prolonged timescale it took to resolve this claim.
Thompson & Bryan assign a dedicated case handler or team to every claim in order that we have a structured and effective approach to support our clients. We believe it is always best to be hands on in terms of understanding the effect a loss has, both in terms of physical damage and also the resultant disruption to their business operations.