Case Study Archive: Claim Types: Burst Pipe

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Managing Extensive Water Damage in a Period Property

Morgan Clark was recommended to an elderly and vulnerable client in Wanstead, East London, after their period property suffered significant water damage due to a burst pipe over the Christmas period. The property, a four-bedroom detached house with original features like parquet flooring, was unoccupied at the time of the incident, leading to the water leaking for an extended period before discovery. The client, recovering from breast cancer and living with hearing loss, required a sensitive and comprehensive approach to their insurance claim, which covered £100,000 in contents and £200,000 in buildings damage.

The Claim

The burst pipe caused severe water damage throughout the property, impacting antique furniture and a valuable vintage Steinway piano. With separate insurance companies for buildings and contents, Morgan Clark took on the challenge of navigating the complexities of the claim. The team worked closely with the client to ensure all aspects of the damage were assessed, including facilitating renovations and upgrades such as replacing rotten windows.

Recognising the client’s vulnerable status, Morgan Clark negotiated a cash settlement in lieu of temporary accommodation, allowing the client to stay with family during the restoration process. The claim lasted 20 months, and the home was completely renovated and updated.

Results

Morgan Clark’s expertise and proactive approach led to a successful outcome, with the client’s home fully restored while also enabling improvements beyond the insurance coverage. Managing such a complex claim, particularly with separate insurance companies and a very significant contents claim, would have been overwhelming for the client without Morgan Clark’s support.

The client’s home is now back to its former glory, with additional upgrades ensuring long-term value and comfort. Morgan Clark’s commitment to guiding the client through each step of the process made all the difference during a particularly challenging time.

Overturning a dismissed water leak claim from insurance company

Mr & Mrs Alton suffered an escape of water at their home but following an unsuccessful insurance claim with their insurers, they approached Morgan Clark to help them manage their claim to ensure they received a fair settlement.

The escape of water began from a leaking drain under the property. The drain had been leaking for some time unbeknown to them.

The Claim

Morgan Clark took over the insurance claim and managed to persuade insurers to accept the claim following their initial dismissal.

Mr & Mrs Alton felt they had great support throughout their claim, explaining that Pino was “such a calming influence which is exactly what we needed” and that he took away as much of the stress as possible. They also noted that “he communicated extremely well and constantly kept us up to date. Both Pino and Sarah were in constant contact with us and offered support throughout the claim. I honestly don’t believe we could have had better support; I am extremely grateful.”

The Results

Mr & Mrs Alton felt that Morgan Clark exceeded their expectations with their final claim.

The costs to reinstate were potentially more than the sums insured, however despite this, Morgan Clark still managed to get the insurers agreement to pay more than the sums insured if the repair costs exceeded it.

The final claim was agreed at £101,900. Mr & Mrs Alton felt that they could not have had a better team of people working together and noted that “if it wasn’t for Pino we wouldn’t be in the situation we are in today”.

Water Ingress in Harrogate property

Following several issues with external drains, including one that was blocked and one that had collapsed, Mr Burn’s basement suffered an ingress of water, which caused damage to the kitchen, utility and living area.

After an initial discussion with the insurers, it was suggested that this claim may not be covered by Mr Burns’ policy, which is when Mr Burns appointed Morgan Clark.

The Claim

Morgan Clark took over management of the claim, which resulted in the insurers’ accepting the claim following liability negotiations.

The entire basement required significant work, from being stripped back to the bricks to installing a new tanking system, re-boarding, rewiring all electrics, plumbing and installing a new kitchen and shower room, as well as all décor. A new temporary kitchen was installed in an upstairs room to allow Mr Burns to continue residing in the property whilst the works were taking place.

Mr Burns felt reassured by communication with his Loss Assessor, explaining that “Martin kept us regularly updated throughout the process”.

The Results

Mr Burns felt that “Martin was excellent right from the start, very professional, knowledgeable and gave brilliant support to my wife and I at a very difficult time.” He was delighted with the support from Morgan Clark and the final settlement, noting that both himself and his wife felt that “…were it not for Martin’s support we would not have had the same outcome on the claim.”

The costs of the reinstatement totalled £140,718.

No matter what has caused the damage to your home, Morgan Clark will guide you through the insurance claim process and ensure you are back in your home as quickly as possible while ensuring you receive the full settlement you’re entitled to. Contact our Yorkshire Loss Assessors today to find out more.

Flooding claim in 2003 and again in 2014 for the same homeowner

When Mrs W’s home near the Thames was flooded in 2003, she went through months of misery. She was eventually advised by a solicitor to engage Morgan Clark to manage her insurance claim – and immediately everything changed. So when she was flooded again in 2014, she had no hesitation in turning again to Morgan Clark.

“I’d say to someone in the same position to have no qualms about it: just give Morgan Clark a ring and they will talk to you, reassure you, and take away the stress and strain. They are always there at the end of the phone, at a time when you really need someone on your side.”

In December 2003, Ms W woke one morning to find her home ankle-deep in floodwater. Her bungalow on Friary Island in Wraysbury, Berkshire, was one of many properties overrun when the Thames burst its banks after a prolonged period of rain.

Mrs W contacted her insurer, who responded slowly but eventually sent in dryers and removed the sodden carpets. After that “everything went pear-shaped. I felt like I’d been put on the back burner and that I wasn’t at the top of their list of priorities”.

The house was uninhabitable and Mrs W and her son moved into a caravan in the garden – and were to stay there for another 18 months. For the first six months after the flood, she went through a series of frustrating experiences with her insurer, their loss adjuster and the contractors they sent in.

Mrs W faced delays and lack of response, and then finally when some restoration work was carried out it was of a completely unacceptable standard: “The contractors had no idea about the work they needed to do. They even put in a new floor which was too high for any of the doors to shut. It was just terrible. And trying to communicate with the insurer and loss adjuster was almost impossible.”

Everything changed when Morgan Clark took control

Matters became so bad that Mrs W engaged a solicitor. Letters went back and forth between him and the insurer, but he could see that progress was going to be very difficult. So he suggested to Mrs W that she employed a loss assessor to take over her claim, and recommended Morgan Clark. “I was at my wits end and can’t find the words to really explain the difference they made. Everything changed when I spoke to Marc Ross at Morgan Clark because now I had someone who was fighting my corner. It was such a weight off my shoulders: he was just fantastic and took the stress away from me.”

Morgan Clark handled everything. They brought in chartered surveyors to produce a revised scope of works and specialist contractors to carry out the reinstatement of the house. This included ripping out the faulty work of the previous contractor. The insurer agreed to pay the complete claim including this remedial work: “One thing Marc made me realise was that I was perfectly entitled to have the final say on how the house was restored.”

Eventually, 20 months after the flood, Mrs W moved back into her home.

2014 – the return of the flood

Eleven years later, the same thing happened again: the Thames burst its banks after unprecedented levels of rainfall, and Mrs W’s home was once again flooded. In the intervening years she had changed her insurer and thought at first that this might make a difference to the response she received – but she soon realised she was wrong.

She called the insurer repeatedly but couldn’t get any kind of appropriate response. Eventually a ‘personal claims specialist’ arrived but, after speaking to her, Mrs W had no confidence in the likely outcome of her claim.

As the days went on, the water receded but there was still no real progress: Mrs W felt she had just got lost in the system. She was promised dryers, and also told she would be moved into temporary accommodation, but nothing happened. She made a verbal complaint but that made no difference.

Then the flood waters returned and her home was flooded as badly as before. So she picked up the phone and called Morgan Clark. “And I was so relieved to find that I was put through to Marc Ross again and he then arranged to come and see me. Everything changed again: I’m just totally relying on him.”

Now, according to Mrs W, she feels that something is happening: “I’ve moved into rented accommodation and the house is being looked after by a specialist restoration company brought in by Morgan Clark. If anything needs sorting out, I know that I just have to ring up Marc and he will take this all away from me.”

A time when you really need someone on your side

“I’m 11 years older, I’m now retired, and I’m even less able to cope than I was the first time. It’s such a relief to have Morgan Clark on my side and I would recommend them wholeheartedly to anyone, with no hesitation. I’d say to someone in the same position to have no qualms about it: just give them a ring and they will talk to you, visit you, reassure you, and take away the stress and strain. They are always there at the end of the phone, at a time when you really need someone on your side.

“I am so relieved that Morgan Clark will now fight my corner and that I’m not doing it alone. I know I’m in safe hands.”

Water damage in family home: Overcoming a Loss Adjuster’s unfair assessment

Just after Christmas 2016, Mrs Tyler’s 3-bedroom home was damaged by a small escape of water. The water came through the upstairs ceiling of the semi-detached house in Plymouth, causing substantial damage to the property.

Mrs Tyler’s Insurer sent a Loss Adjuster to assess the extent of the damage and decide on the settlement of the insurance claim. Mrs Tyler was not satisfied with the Loss Adjuster’s recommendation and her father, who works in trade, confirmed that the advice they were being given was insufficient for the damage caused.

After a month of delays and an unsatisfactory response from the Loss Adjuster, Mrs Tyler came across Loss Assessors online. She instructed Morgan Clark to help move the claim forward and negotiate a more suitable result.

The claim

After a stressful month of dealing with the unsatisfactory Loss Adjuster appointed by the insurance company, Morgan Clark stepped in to take the stress off Mrs Tyler and her family, including her two children who were sitting their A-Level exams at the time. This support was “incredibly helpful and made a massive difference” during what was a “difficult and stressful time” for the family.

Morgan Clark reassured Mrs Tyler that, with their support, she would receive the result she was entitled to. Based on the Loss Adjuster’s advice, the Insurer wanted to simply patch up the ceiling where the water had escaped and move the furniture out several days before the family could move out themselves. As the children were sitting their exams, Mrs Tyler did not want to put the family through any added stress, and Morgan Clark negotiated with the Insurer to reach a settlement without disrupting the Tylers’ family life unnecessarily.

The results

Morgan Clark’s knowledge and experience of dealing with water damage insurance claims made a substantial difference and helped Mrs Tyler reach an agreement she was happy with. After a difficult start to the claims process, the final claim was agreed at £23,279.47.

Mrs Tyler doesn’t “believe the outcome would have been as satisfactory without the extra support of Morgan Clark”. She says, “I could have done it, but not as well. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Morgan Clark.”

Damage from burst pipe – £48,000 buildings, contents and alternative accommodation claim

An escape of water from a pipe on the second floor of Mr & Mrs Rawlinson’s luxurious large London house caused substantial damage throughout the property. Ceilings fell down in the entrance hall, while plaster and wardrobes in the master bedroom were ruined.

Mr Rawlinson initially handled the claim himself but became increasingly frustrated by his insurer’s loss adjuster: calls were not returned and no progress was being made. With a busy job in the City, he had very little time to spend chasing and, after four weeks, he realised he needed help. He therefore turned to Morgan Clark to take over the claim.

The claim

As a result of Morgan Clark’s appointment, the insurer immediately brought in a more responsive loss adjuster. Morgan Clark’s team of experienced loss assessors then advised Mr & Mrs Rawlinson on their options and exactly what could be claimed under the terms of their policy. They also brought in specialist chartered surveyors who assessed the full extent of the damage, and prepared an exhaustive specification for the reinstatement works.

The claim submitted comprised a buildings claim for £48,000 plus cash payments in lieu of new carpets and alternative accommodation. It also included temporary removal and storage of a snooker table to allow redecoration, as well as professional cleaning of existing carpets and curtains – items Mr & Mrs Rawlinson did not realise were covered.

The results

The insurer accepted the full claim. The surveyors Morgan Clark introduced to Mr & Mrs Rawlinson then supervised the reinstatement works, bringing in specialist contractors. They also advised Mr & Mrs Rawlinson that this offered a cost-effective opportunity to carry out other major alterations: as a result, they now have a new master bedroom and en suite bathroom.