Important Information on Insurance Claims
If you missed Stuart, the footage is available until 6pm 24th January via this link but if the link has expired here is what Stuart had to say:
"The general advice is to gather as much evidence as possible. Once it’s safe to do so, take plenty of photographs of any damage and make a note of the extent of it. It’s essential to get a full tally of information so we know what we’re dealing with.
“If we’re looking at an insurance claim, we advise people to try and give an indication of the estimated value of the damage. Generally in the industry, anything sub £5,000 does not usually warrant a loss adjuster coming out to do an assessment and insurers may do a desktop assessment instead. That’s why it’s important to provide as much detail about the claim as possible right from the start. The more detail we can give insurers the better.
“It’s worth calling contractors and securing quotations straight away, don’t wait for insurers. Get people on board, get people instructed and get to the front of the queue.
"If you are unsure whether you are covered or not for the damage, then double check your own policy documentation, or if you have been insured through a broker, get in touch with them and they will be able to advise you. Even if you are not covered, they will be able to advise you on the best way forward if you are a customer.
“I’d advise contacting your insurance broker as soon as possible to report any damage. They have years of experience dealing with extreme weather events and will guide you through the process step-by-step.
“The length of time it takes to process a claim usually depends on the extent of the damage. If it’s a smashed car windscreen then it’s usually quite straightforward but more major damage to buildings, vehicles or machinery which requires assessment from a loss adjuster will take longer, so it’s difficult to put exact timescale to it.
“The industry has been impacted by the storms, so insurers and adjusters are going to be busy, we just ask people to bear with us while we process claims. Our aim is to deal with claims as quickly and efficiently as possible, so customers experience minimal disruption to their homes and businesses.”
Well done Stuart!