Flood damage to a family home: Securing the maximum settlement and restoring peace of mind following insurer delays

“Contacting Morgan Clark was the best decision we made… They literally held us up through what was the worst time in our lives.” 

On 20 October 2023, Trudie Kinirons’ family home was devastated by severe flood damage. Displaced from their property and facing a complex recovery, the family hit immediate roadblocks when dealing directly with their insurance company. 

Over the first six weeks, the insurer appointed three separate Loss Adjusters, forcing Trudie to repeatedly explain her situation and justify her claim. Feeling as though she was “banging her head against a wall” without knowing what she was entitled to, Trudie appointed Morgan Clark to take over the claim and advocate on her behalf. 

The claim 

Morgan Clark Loss Advisor Sunny Singh visited Trudie at her home just days before Christmas to evaluate the damage, offer valuable advice and assign Loss Assessor, Pino Musso, to lead the case. 

The overall claim was valued at more than £300,000, covering the buildings, contents, alternative accommodation and other associated costs. The building repairs alone were valued at £177,000 plus VAT, highlighting the significant scale of the restoration. 

With seven family members displaced, Trudie had to book a four-bedroom holiday let to ensure the family could celebrate Christmas together. Although the insurer initially resisted funding this, Pino successfully challenged their stance, recovering the accommodation expenses in full early in the claim. Additionally, because the family later had to stay in their own holiday rental property during the restoration, Pino negotiated further compensation from the insurer to cover their lost rental income. 

The claim continued for almost 28 months, from the original incident in October 2023 until the insurer issued the final payment in February 2026. Throughout this prolonged and complex negotiation, the insurer repeatedly attempted to minimise liability. Pino maintained persistent pressure on the insurance company while seamlessly coordinating with the Chartered Surveyors and Building Contractors to manage the restoration. 

The results 

Morgan Clark’s persistent advocacy ensured that Trudie received full compensation for expenses she had initially assumed were unclaimable, while Pino continued to challenge the insurer throughout the lengthy claims process. 

The family home was restored to a very high standard, giving Trudie and her family the opportunity to finally move forwards. 

Reflecting on the experience, Trudie said: “Pino fought them with professional determination, resulting in a beautiful full restoration of our home.” She added that without Morgan Clark’s support, “it doesn’t bear thinking about… I don’t know where we’d be now.”