Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Loss Assessor?
A loss assessor is an independent entity hired by the insured (policy holder) to negotiate an insurance claim with the insurer (insurance company). Loss assessors are specialists in their field who are best placed to help you when you have had damage to your property. You are our client so we work for you, with your interests at heart. Loss assessors work to ensure you receive the full entitlement of your claim and typically without professional representation you will never get the full value of your financial loss.
At what stage of my claim should I contact a loss assessor?
At the earliest opportunity. At the start of your claim is the best time to instruct a loss assessor, as it is then that your insurers will instruct a loss adjuster to act on their behalf, NOT yours.
My insurance company is sending out a loss adjuster to deal with the claim so why do I need Independent Claims Consultants?
A Loss Adjuster is instructed by your insurance company to visit your property and assess the damage. At this point it is common practice to instruct your own representation in the form of a Loss Assessor as a Loss Assessor works for you, not the insurer, and will manage all aspects of your insurance claim to obtain the best possible settlement for you
The insurance company has rejected my claim…can they do this?
Yes, in some circumstances they can. An insurance policy is a contract, or agreement between two parties. As one of those parties, the insurer can deny the claim if it considers you have not kept to your side of the bargain, if the claim is not covered by the policy, or if it suspects fraud. This does not mean they are correct or justified in doing so, and this is where we come in to professionally represent you and fight for the claim to be accepted and settled.
How long will it take to settle my claim?
There are no set timescales for claims unfortunately as every claim is different. Generally, a straightforward, non-contentious claim can take between 4 and 6 weeks to be settled. More complex and hard fought claims can take longer. We do not get paid until you do. We can assure you that we will progress your claim as quickly and as forcefully as possible.
Will my insurance broker help me with my claim?
If you purchased your policy via an insurance broker then yes they should help so far as is possible. However, it is unfortunate that realistically very few insurance brokers have the time, resources or expertise to manage claims on behalf of their clients. That is why many recommend using a Loss Assessor like Independent Claims Consultants who can spend 100% of their time dedicated to claims.
What does it mean if I am under insured and can you still help me?
Being under-insured can have a huge effect on your claim and is often unintentional. It essentially allows the insurance company to reduce the settlement figure severely; they can even reject your claim for gross under insurance. The issue is that under insured properties are more common than people think. Many insure their property for what it is worth rather than the cost to rebuild it.
It isn’t as clear cut as some insurance companies will try to make you think and we know every trick that your insurance company will try. Our role as loss assessors is to build up a conclusive thorough list of items to present to the loss adjuster. If you are worried about under insurance then it is of the utmost importance to speak to us as soon as possible. We guarantee to get you every penny you are entitled to under the terms of your insurance policy.
What Type of claims do you manage?
We deal with the following claims for Homeowners, landlords and commercial clients: Fire, Flood, Impact Damage, Storm Damage, theft.
We also deal with alternative accommodation and for commercial clients and landlords loss of rent, business interruption, stocks and machinery.
How Can We Help You?
A loss assessor is the only party in the insurance claims process who can be trusted to work entirely with your best interests in mind. If you enlist our services as early in the process as possible, we can manage every aspect of your claim.
As part of our comprehensive service, we can:
- Secure your property, organising emergency works and arranging for alternative accommodation where necessary.
- Prepare, present, and negotiate your entire claim.
- Identify the full extent of the damage, and all matters relating to both buildings and contents.
- Coordinate your insurer and your loss adjusters, ensuring that you receive the full amount to which you are entitled.
- Help you to appoint specialist surveyors and contractors, and supervising their work through to the conclusion of the project.
What Does a Loss Adjuster Do?
Insurance companies are generally reluctant to pay out large settlements to policyholders. They might therefore call upon a loss adjuster to investigate your case.
A loss adjuster is a claims specialist appointed and paid by an insurance company to investigate a complex or contentious claim on their behalf. They are responsible for establishing the cause of a loss and to determine whether it is covered by your insurance policy. They will therefore visit the site of the loss in order to gather evidence and assess damage. In some cases, your insurance company may even hire private and forensic investigators to work on their behalf. These investigators are more often than not completely unregulated, and they will go out of their way to discredit your claim.
They will then present the insurance company with a report, recommending appropriate payment based on their perceived validity of the claim. Essentially, they review your claim from the insurance company’s perspective.
Because they are in the pay of insurance companies, loss adjusters might actively work to secure the lowest possible settlement. They are ostensibly hired to find evidence that could negate your claim. For that reason, it is important to have a qualified loss assessor fighting your corner.
They are not appointed to advise you on the best way for you to make a claim – they only look at the incident in the context of your policy cover, and the remit they have with your insurer.
They will not help you if you want to dispute a settlement offer – the onus is on you to prove you are entitled to more than the offer recommended to your insurer by the loss adjuster.
In some cases, it might feel as though loss adjusters are actively working against your best interests. But if you appoint a loss assessor, they will fight your corner and expertly negotiate your claim on your behalf.
It pays to appoint them as early in the claim as you can. If you appoint a loss assessor after the loss adjuster’s report has been submitted, it can be very difficult to challenge their decision.
Our qualified personnel are devoted solely to representing your interests in the event of your making a claim.
Since I established my Own Independent Claims Consultants three decades ago, I have never lost sight of the long tradition of customer care and personal service which is the hallmark of my family’s long history in Loss assessment. – Nic Castleton Managing Director