Gas explosion- £108,000 buildings claim
Location Manchester
Customer Mr Smith
Peter Smith had recently had a new gas boiler fitted in his house in Manchester. One morning he came downstairs to cook breakfast and, when he lit one of the rings on the cooker, there was a massive explosion. He was thrown with huge force against the kitchen wall, and the house was engulfed in flames. Luckily he was rescued but he spent the next six months in hospital recovering from his severe injuries.
As well as fire damage, the house suffered a significant amount of structural damage. Mr Smith’s brother George took on responsibility for the insurance claim but “we knew we couldn’t attempt to cope with it alone: we didn’t know what to do.” When they met one of Morgan Clark’s loss assessors, “we could sense immediately that we were putting our case in the hands of the right people”.
The claim
From that point, Morgan Clark managed everything. They liaised with all parties involved including handling all negotiations with the insurer’s loss adjuster. They oversaw the complete rebuilding of the house: they brought in specialist surveyors and structural engineers to survey the damage and produce detailed plans and specifications; and recommended expert building contractors who specialise in insurance re-instatements.
The results
Over the six months that Peter Smith was in hospital, the claim progressed and work continued on the house. George was very keen that the re-instatement work was completed by the time Peter left hospital, and Morgan Clark ensured this happened. Peter could therefore be taken to see the house straight after he was discharged, and he was incredibly moved by the standard of the restoration.
The overall settlement negotiated with the insurance company for re-instating the house was approximately £108,000. George and his wife were kept up-to-date with progress throughout the project, and were able to select the kitchen and bathroom fittings as well choosing how the house was decorated. According to George, “we didn’t have any work to do or any worries. Morgan Clark were absolutely brilliant and the job they did was wonderful. Peter is thrilled to bits with the house.” Peter is now happily back in his home.