I would need to read your policy documentation to determine what cover you have and how this has been arranged. Your insurer may require you to fill in a claim form. Sometimes this can be done directly with them over the telephone.  It is here that you will be asked a number of questions about not only the circumstances of your loss but also your background and history.  Often, the outcome of your claim – whether insurers pay or don’t pay (let alone how much), can be set from the very first phone call.

The best thing for you might be our “starter service”, which, after my first free visit, will allow me to read your policy wording and any conditions.  I will then explain to you how the policy will work in your particular case, identify the likely issues and arm you with better knowledge so that you don’t fall at the first hurdle.

I will send you details of how this package works.

Damage caused by a paperweight and the sun

As well as the destruction caused by the fire itself, there would have been considerable damage from the water used to put the fire out.

Once you’ve read this, we urge you to check through your own insurance policy – and never leave glass paperweights (or magnifying mirrors- in fact any object that can concentrate the sun’s rays) near a window on a sunny day.

“Residents had to be evacuated after arsonists set fire to part of a building in Seaside Road on Bank Holiday Monday night. Firefighters were called to the empty shop, formerly a bookmakers, after somebody deliberately set a window frame on the ground floor alight. A member of the public raised the alarm and firefighters from Eastbourne rushed to the scene. They said smoke spread rapidly and although the shop was empty, residents in flats upstairs were evacuated as a safety precaution.”

Once again, it was the smoke that caused most of the damage. When the Freeholders come to claim, they need to be aware of their rights and responsibilities – and would benefit greatly from talking to Truman Associates to handle any business insurance claim on their behalf.

In order to drain the cold water tank as quickly as possible and thereby reduce the amount of water available to cause damage, turn on all the taps in the house and flush all toilets after turning off the main stopcock.

Remove the appropriate fuse from the main fuse box, or throw the main breaker if you have modern circuit breakers. Again, it is a good idea to familiarise yourself with the main fuse box now, in case of future emergencies.

If the water is causing the ceiling plaster to bulge, hold a container under the bulge and make a hole in the bulge with a screwdriver or scissors to release the water.  This should confine the damage to a smaller area.

Switch off your water heater or damp down a solid fuel boiler (the fire does not need to be completely extinguished as the hot-water cylinder will not have been emptied).

Assuming you are insured, you will need to make an insurance claim.  If the damage is substantial, insurance companies  appoint loss adjusters to look after their interests and to report back to them.  Correspondingly, it is sensible to appoint your own loss assessor to look after your interests when you make an insurance claim.

Loss assessors help you through the insurance claim process and manage your claim to maximum effect.  When everyone else is interested in their own situation – and after all, you wouldn’t expect your insurer to pay out without a fuss – a loss assessor can be your best ally, as they will be the only ones truly committed to your best interests.  Granted, loss assessors charge a fee for their services, however, this is usually a small percentage applied to the settlement figure and the advantages should vastly outweigh the cost.

You may need a Damage Limitation Company to help with the drying out, temporary supply of electrics, drying and monitoring equipment and other essential first aid for your property and contents.  You may also require alternative accommodation, and may not be sure what you are entitled to. There is a great deal of organisation needed before you can get back to normal. A loss assessor can provide a sympathetic ear, knowledge and experience. This can certainly help you through such a disorientating and distressing time.

Ray Truman of Truman Associates has 30 years’ experience in dealing with insurance claims on behalf of his clients and will bring his expertise and act on your behalf to help with your insurance claim.

As families gather together in one another’s homes, it means lots of premises are left empty. With fewer neighbours around to keep an eye out, it’s a great time for opportunistic thieves to strike. The nights are at their darkest and longest, and of course over the Christmas period many homes will have brand new items still in their boxes, wrapped up and piled up under the Christmas tree. Wrapped presents offer a bonus for thieves as they know the goods are unused and likely to include remote controls, manuals and guarantees.

After Christmas it is not a good idea to put empty boxes in plain view outside your house by dustbins, as it advertises exactly which nearly-new valuable items are available to burglars.

Make sure you take the necessary precautions to prevent your home being burgled this Christmas; check what your insurers expect of you, make sure your insurance policy is current and that you are fully covered if you should become the unfortunate victim of thieves. Remember, your insurance cover is meant to represent the full replacement value of your Home Contents; not just what you think might be vulnerable.    If you are underinsured in total, your insurer may seek to take this into account when dealing with the part you are claiming for.  There may also be limits for High Risk or Valuable items.  Some policies have an automatic increase of the sum insured over the Christmas period – but many do not.

If the worst does happen, act quickly. Call the police immediately to report the theft. You should then give serious consideration to contacting an insurance loss assessor before you submit your insurance claim. A loss assessor will handle the claim for you, relieving some of the burden of what can be a very stressful procedure. Don’t be a victim again at the hands of your insurer.

Police arrested 12 Vietnamese nationals who were growing cannabis in rented properties throughout the region, using illegal immigrants as workers. In many cases, cannabis was being grown in every room of the building, and severe damage had been caused by the addition of electricity and water supplies and the creation of ventilation shafts. The owners of the buildings were unaware of what they were being used for, or of the damage that had been inflicted on their property. The insurance company paid out over £100,000 to repair the damage caused in this case.

In most instances like this, however, insurers will refuse to pay out, citing reasons such as:-

• “This is not Malicious Damage because the alterations resulted from the Tenants undertaking an activity purely for their own financial gain and is therefore not Malicious towards the Landlord“
• “This is not payable because the damage arose out of an illegal or criminal activity“
• “We do not cover damage caused by a tenant who was renting the property“.

To avoid this happening, it is important that the wording of the insurance policy is understood by all parties right from the start.

Landlords should always be wary of tenants who are prepared to pay more than the going rate or pay rent in advance, and ensure they keep an eye on their property at all times.  It is prudent to rent through a responsible letting agent who has instructions to ensure that the property is visited regularly and is not being abused.  Again, this will depend on the actual arrangement you have with the Agent concerned.

Some insurers are also highlighting this growing problem and urging landlords to be vigilant. But what if you are a vigilant landlord, using a responsible letting agent, and a cannabis farm is discovered in one of your properties?  The damage will have already been done and it may already be too late to pursue a successful claim.

When arguing a case such as this, an insurance loss assessor can really help you to put a strong case forward to maximise your chances of a successful outcome.  If you are a landlord who has to claim for damage caused to your property, contact Truman Associates as quickly as possible.

Hello Julia, thank you for getting in touch. It is essential that you make contact with a loss assessor as soon as possible. If you have insured your business for business interruption, this will help. Before they can give you any sensible advice an assessor will need to ask you a few questions. These will include:

• Has the burst pipe been fixed?
• What was the cause of the burst in the first place?
• Do you make your stock yourself or is it bought in?
• If you make stock yourself, do you manufacture on- or off-site?
• Do you own or lease the building?
• Have you called in a damage limitation company?
• How much Insurance Cover have you bought in each insurable category?

Answering these and many other questions will enable a good loss assessor to structure your claim to maximise your settlement on your behalf.

The first consultation with a loss Assessor is usually free and you can certainly get some crucial early advice even at the telephone.

Good luck and please contact me if you would like me to help you with this claim. My freephone number is 0800 542 1616 or why not call me on my mobile 07831 259545 – it’s never switched off!

Frank, Redhill

Hello Frank, I’m sorry to hear that. Usually dry rot is explicitly excluded from insurance cover as it is ‘gradually operating’. However there is a slim chance of getting somewhere with an insurance claim in certain circumstances. Why don’t you give me a call and I’ll talk through some ideas with you?

The report shows that around 107000 insurance claims in the UK were found to be fraudulent over 2008, an increase of 30% over 2007. The combined value of these claims came to approximately £730,000,000. Over half of these false claims were made against household insurance.

As a result, insurance companies are becoming even tougher when investigating claims. Fraudulent insurance claims are estimated to add £40 to the cost of every insurance policy, reflecting the additional work required to confirm the validity of each claim. In some cases, honest claimants have dropped their insurance claims because they felt intimidated by over-aggressive fraud prevention tactics from their insurers.

Using an insurance loss assessor to fully investigate the details of your case and back up your claim helps to reduce the risk of your claim being wrongly identified as fraudulent. If you’re about to make an insurance claim, contact us for expert professional help in making a strong case for settlement.