Snow: £115,000 Business Claim

The Problem

During the heavy snows of December 2010, a marquee venue in Leicester had to close for business due to a heavy build up of snow on its canvas roof. The canvas and supporting beams had become unsafe, so that the local council safety officer forced it to suspend business at Christmas – the busiest time of the year for those in the events industry.

The Managing Director’s first thought was to put in an insurance claim, but they weren’t sure on what basis to claim. They couldn’t claim for 'closure due to an official condemning the structure' as this was not covered by their insurance policy.

Help with the Insurance Claim

After an Internet search, the managing director found Truman Associates:

"I called Ray Truman and was immediately put at ease. He understood our issues and knew exactly how to present our claim to the best effect. We had to act quickly with regard to the customers that had set their hearts on having their Christmas and New Year parties at our venue and they were all demanding back their deposits. In fact, most had already paid in full and we had already paid out for food and drink; entertainments were booked. Not only were we letting our customers down our reputation was suffering; we felt were being made to take the blame over things completely beyond our control. It was a real mess and really not our fault."

Because of the complex set up of the company, Ray Truman worked with a specialist accountant assessor associate when making the Business Interruption insurance claim.

Making the Claim

There was no doubt that the damage to the Marquee was as a result of the immense weight of the build up of snow and ice. However, it needed to be argued that the heavy snowfall could be considered under the policy wording as storm. For operational reasons the physical damage was regarded as effectively a total loss rather than a repair. The Business Interruption was complicated but ultimately navigated through to an acceptable conclusion.

Results of Our Help

Once the snow storm definition was accepted, the claim could proceed. There were other, more technical difficulties with the claim, but Truman Associates was able to navigate through to a successful conclusion.

Client Testimonial

"I can truly say that it was the best thing I did contacting you, I am a hands on person and think that I can fight most battles I am faced with, but this time I needed some extra help in my corner and you both came through.  All I can say is thanks!!  I know this was not the easiest of cases.".