Underinsurance issues overcome by Morgan Clark following 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.”