Business Insurance Claims

A Claims Handler will take full details of the claim and guide you through the next steps.

Depending on the value and/or type of claim the claims handler may seek help from a Loss Adjuster. Loss Adjusters are independent experts who will visit you and help you with your claim.

Do’s

• Notify insurers of any incident or potential claim as soon as possible. The sooner they are involved, the more opportunity there is to resolve your claim with mutual satisfaction.
• Any claim for Loss, Theft or Malicious Damage, Impact must be reported to the Police within 24 Hours of the incident.
• You must obtain a Crime Reference number to support a theft of malicious damage claim; an incident number will not suffice.
• Carry out temporary repairs to prevent further loss. Please retain all invoices for work carried out.
• Ensure that any letter or notice received from somebody making a claim against you is reported to insurers immediately. Any injury to an employee should be reported to insurers regardless of whether a formal claim has been made against you. Insurers can then decide whether it is a claim that should be investigated and/or provide advice to you.
• The 2013 Ministry of Justice Reforms has changed the process of handling injury claims. Once a claim has been notified by a claimant to insurers, they only have 30 days to investigate an Employers' Liability claim and 40 days to investigate a Public Liability claim.  The sooner you report an incident the longer there will be to investigate the matter.
• Retain CCTV footage for the day/time of an incident.
• Immediately document any accidents in your Accident Report book / First Aid Report.

Don’ts

• Dispose of any damaged items, insurers may wish to see them.
• Wait for estimates to be obtained for work to be carried out before notifying insurers of a claim.
• Admit liability for any claim being made against you by a Third Party. Simply provide them with your policy details; advise them that you will be notifying insurers and that they will contact them directly.

As well as Loss Adjusters, insurers have a number of suppliers to call upon to assist in dealing with your claim. For example, glaziers, drainage experts, structural engineers, building surveyors and computer repairers and replacement specialists who can be instructed in appropriate cases.

• Broken window/shop front - Insurers can provide you with the number of a national glazier who will visit your premises, survey the damage and arrange replacement of the glass. The glazier will invoice insurers directly. You will be responsible for payment of the excess applicable to your policy and the VAT element if you are VAT registered. You will receive a separate invoice for these items from the glazier.
• Other damage to your property (buildings and contents) - Insurers have a number of suppliers that can repair your property or replace items stolen or damaged beyond repair. Please call insurers to discuss your requirements. If one of their suppliers is used you will not need to obtain estimates and they will settle direct with the supplier. You will only be responsible for payment of the excess applicable to your policy and the VAT element if you are VAT registered. You will receive a separate invoice for these items.
• Damage or injury to a Third Party - If you are legally responsible for the damage or injury sustained to a Third Party insurers will pay for all sums that you become legally liable to pay as compensation and Claimants costs and expenses. The amounts paid will be negotiated and agreed between the insurer and the Third Party or their legal representatives.

Typically insurers will need:-

• Proof of ownership – Original purchase invoices, Bank Account Statements and/or similar.
• Estimate for replacement of damaged or stolen items.
• If the item is unrepairable, a letter or report is required from an independent expert confirming such and the cause of the damage.
• Two estimates for repair of the damaged property.
• Any available photographs taken before and after the event, showing the property would be useful.
• Police Crime Reference/Incident number.
• Trading accounts will need to be made available in event of a Business Interruption claim being made.
• Any correspondence received from a Third Party or Third Party representative where you are being held responsible for an injury or damage to a Third Party should be sent to insurers immediately and unanswered. They will answer them on your behalf.

In  the event of an injury claim/incident any of the following will assist and speed up the investigation:

• CCTV footage
• Witness details/statements
• Pre & post incident employee earning schedule (3 months before and 3 months after)
• First Aid report / copy of accident report book
• HSE Forms/ minutes of any H&S meetings
• Training records
• Evidence of the use of personal protective equipment
• Maintenance logs for premises machinery
• Risk assessments