Taking the burden from the family after fire in elderly father’s bungalow
Location Shropshire
Customer Steve Davies, fire victim's son
Steve Davies has a responsibility which many people face these days: trying to care for an elderly parent who lives many miles away. He lives in Nottinghamshire, but his father, who is in his 90s, lives almost three hours’ drive away in Shropshire.
Mr Davies senior always tries to be independent and cope by himself. But when his bungalow was badly damaged after a chip pan fire, it was soon apparent that he would not be able to handle making the insurance claim. There was the added complication that he was under-insured: according to his son, “he had been with the same insurer for 62 years and just renewed his policy every year, but the insurer never thought to suggest that he increased the cover”.
The damage to the house was extensive: the kitchen and dining room, as well as part of the roof, were destroyed and there was further damage from both smoke and the firefighters’ water hoses. Mr Davies’ son realised that dealing with the claim from three hours away was simply not possible, so after meeting with their representatives and discussing the enormity of what he faced, he appointed loss assessors Morgan Clark to handle the claim.
The claim
The negotiations with the insurance company were particularly difficult as Mr Davies was under-insured, but through careful use of surveyors and tight project management, as well as a reduced scope-of-works, the final settlement of £101,000 was sufficient to restore the bungalow. The house was uninhabitable during the restoration, but fortunately Mr Davies was able to move in with a friend which meant there was no need to include alternative accommodation costs in the insurance claim.
The builders brought in by Morgan Clark were particularly good. According to Steve Davies, “They turned out to be absolutely excellent and were the most considerate and thoughtful builders I have ever had.
“Morgan Clark gave us peace of mind. Pino Musso from Morgan Clark always gave us the impression that he was completely on our side and working in our best interests. He and his colleagues were a big help and a steadying influence, a source of good advice and made us feel we were not on our own. I would definitely recommend them to anyone in a similar position, particularly for older people who simply can’t cope.”