Case Study Archive: Claim Types: Insurance claim

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Fire damage in thatched cottage

Mr and Mrs Hampshire suffered a fire at their thatched cottage, which started in the middle of the night when the family were asleep. The accidental fire was caused by a lighter being ignited, which resulted in blankets and pillows catching fire and sadly further escalated.

The family attempted to extinguish the fire using a nearby fire extinguisher, however due to the level of smoke and heat, it was not possible to get into the room. Five fire engines attended the property. The fire brigade extinguished the fire within a short space of time and assessed the thatched roof to ensure there was no further damage. The fire officer did however recommend that a structural surveyor was instructed to ensure that the roof structure was fully intact.

The Claim

Mr and Mrs Hampshire appointed Morgan Clark to handle their insurance claim. Mrs Hampshire explained that “without Dan my insurers would have run rings round me at every corner. I have no experience of insurance claims and this was a complex claim. Dan battled hard and got us what I see as very fair compensation for the whole unfortunate saga.”

Due to several conditions and endorsements on the policy, there were initial concerns whether the policy would apply or not, however Morgan Clark managed to provide enough documentation for the claim to be accepted.

Mr & Mrs Hampshire felt they had great support throughout the claim, explaining “‘My team’ as I have grown to call them, have supported us through some challenging times, all with 100% professionalism, and with total support when I was finding all the external delays particularly tough. I know I would not have coped without them to guide us through.”

The Results

Along with a select team of surveyors, restoration contractors and builders, Morgan Clark restored the property back to better than pre-loss condition.

Morgan Clark managed to secure the family alternative accommodation for the duration of the works, as well as a large disturbance allowance payment for the Insurers’ delays whilst the clients remained at home.

Mr & Mrs Hampshire were unfortunately underinsured on their buildings insurance, however Morgan Clark managed to utilise every aspect of their insurance contract to secure enough funding to restore the property. This significantly reduced the rebuild costs the clients would have had to fund themselves. To achieve this, Morgan Clark negotiated cash settlements for certain elements of the claim, which the client could then use to contribute towards the reinstatements.

The settlement was agreed at circa £100,000.

Mr & Mrs Hampshire were pleased with the overall settlement. They stated “Dan has been wonderful and I feel has represented our interests 100% through some very tough going. He has always been kind, courteous and reassuring, particularly through some times I found quite difficult. He definitely worked his magic for me on multiple occasions, and I know the happy outcome we have is due to his hard work.”

Flooding at kitchen worktop manufacturer: £1.2 million claim

Stoneworld is a very successful manufacturer of quartz and granite kitchen worktops, importing expensive materials from across the world and using sophisticated precision cutting machinery. Based in Kendal, Cumbria, it distributes its high-end products through outlets across the country.

In December 2015, its two buildings were flooded with almost four feet of water, completely destroying the machinery and writing off most of its stock. According to Shama Collins from Stoneworld, “when it happened we were overwhelmed. December is a peak time as we have to meet Christmas orders, but we came to a complete standstill. We realised we faced an enormous insurance claim. But we don’t know how the insurance world works and it just would have been too much to do it ourselves on top of what we already had on our plate. So we turned to Morgan Clark.”

The claim

Morgan Clark recognised that the most important thing was to restart manufacturing as quickly as possible. However to do this the company needed to replace the expensive precision machinery which had been ruined by the flood. Cash flow was also critical. Even though there were elements of under-insurance, Morgan Clark immediately negotiated a substantial allowance for the damaged stock. The company could then pay for replacement machinery and stock, despite premium prices caused by the critical timescales, and manufacturing resumed.

The results

Stoneworld overcame the tremendous challenges it faced and started trading again very quickly. At the same time, Morgan Clark successfully negotiated a total insurance claim of £1.2 million, comprising £550,000 plant and machinery, £250,000 stock and £400,000 business interruption. The BI claim covered not only loss of gross profit but also increased cost of working which included the significant amounts of overtime staff had to work to fulfil the order book.

According to Shama, “Throughout this whole terrible episode, if there was one decision we got right it was using Morgan Clark. They understood from day one where we were coming from: they appreciated our commitments to clients and the losses we would incur if we didn’t move quickly. They realised the importance of getting back on our feet rapidly, otherwise not only would we lose customers but also it would cause huge damage to our company’s reputation.

“Morgan Clark saved our company. It would have taken us so much longer to get on our feet without them and we would never have achieved the same results. I would advise anyone facing an insurance claim to get a loss assessor because they really know what they are doing – and as far as insurance is concerned, we don’t.”

Fire and smoke damage in rental property: £80,000 claim

When a fire broke out in Mr Seedat’s rental property in Manchester, a full refurbishment was needed. The fire started from a drier, which was installed by the tenant living in the property at the time. The accident led to fire damage in the utility room, along with extensive smoke damage throughout the rest of the property.

Due to the extent of the damage in his property, Mr Seedat decided to employ the services of a Loss Assessor to help navigate the insurance claims process. He felt that he would get a much better claim settlement by using a Loss Assessor than he could have on his own, and appointed Morgan Clark to handle the case.

The claim

Morgan Clark took over the insurance claim on behalf of Mr Seedat straight away. Due to their knowledge of landlord insurance policy wording and experiences in helping clients with claims on rental properties, Morgan Clark knew how to get the insurance company to accept liability.

The damage from the fire and smoke was extensive and the property needed a complete refurbishment. Morgan Clark liaised with the insurance company to achieve a claim settlement that would cover the cost of overhauling Mr Seedat’s property and restore it to its pre-fire condition.

The results

Mr Seedat is happy that he appointed Morgan Clark to handle his insurance claim. Morgan Clark’s expertise was vital in getting the insurer to accept liability and was therefore crucial in getting the claim settlement the client had hoped for. The property was completely refurbished, with the costs of the reinstatement totalling circa £80,000.00.

Mr Seedat feels that “with Morgan Clark acting on our behalf we got a far better claim settlement than we would have got if we had not used Morgan Clark. We cannot thank Morgan Clark enough for completely taking the stress and worry out of the otherwise very stressful situation for us.”

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 Manchester Loss Assessors today to find out more.

Dealing with a difficult Loss Adjuster to claim £60,000

When Ms M noticed a large escape of water in her home, she needed to claim for water damage on her home insurance policy. The escape of water was deep under the concrete of her home’s ground floor and affected the entire floor of the house.

The Claim:

The leak had been going on for around 9 months before Ms M noticed the problem. It was only when she began to smell damp throughout the house and noticed a pool of water under the house that the issue was identified. By this time, the damage was already significant.

During the initial stages of the claim, Ms M found that the insurer and the Loss Adjuster appointed to investigate the insurance claim became difficult to deal with and she began having serious problems.

When a friend informed Ms M that she had the right to hire independent help with the claim, she began researching options and found Morgan Clark. She decided to hire one of our experienced Loss Assessors to help manage the claim.

The Results:

Having never experienced anything like this before, Ms M was unsure whether to believe what the Loss Adjuster was telling her or whether they were acting in the insurance company’s best interests. After the settlement of her claim, Ms M explained she was “so grateful to have an experienced and knowledgeable professional taking the lead to represent our best interests, which is exactly what Morgan Clark did”.

Morgan Clark took over the entire case and instantly took away much of the stress for Ms M. With Morgan Clark’s help, Ms M’s claim was successful and she received circa £60,000 for the building repairs needed. After the difficulties encountered in the claims process before Morgan Clark arrived, Ms M says that she “cannot imagine how much more stressful or consuming this would have been without Morgan Clark’s help” and that she will be “forever grateful for the support Morgan Clark gave [her]”.

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”.

Malicious Damage in Lancashire rental property

Ms Glen’s rental property in Lancashire suffered significant damage caused by the tenant who was using the property as a cannabis farm.

The tenant had installed equipment to grow cannabis in several rooms in the house, including sprinkler systems, extraction fans and heaters. This equipment had created holes in walls and ceilings and the electric wiring and pipe work had both been tampered with.

The Claim

Ms Glen was recommended Morgan Clark from a friend who had previously used Morgan Clark’s services.

Ms Glen’s Loss Assessor Pino took responsibility for all negotiations and works, from re-wiring the property to re-plastering and full décor updates. Ms Glen feels that Pino handled this “effectively, taking all pressure away from us”.

The Results

Ms Glen felt the “standard of service is just wonderful, taking all pressure and stress from us, dealing with every aspect and returning a beautifully repaired and spotlessly clean home”.

The costs of the reinstatement totalled £24,471.