PROPERTY CLAIMS - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
I have a fitted kitchen, is this covered on the home buildings or contents Insurance?Under most circumstances, fitted furniture, bathroom suites and other items fitted to the building that you would not normally take with you if you moved house would be covered under the buildings insurance. If however you rent the house and have fitted these items, then they should then be insured under the contents insurance.
If I have an unusual colour bathroom suite, or a set of items, and one of the items is damaged and a matching item cannot be bought, will the insurers pay for all the items, including undamaged items to be replaced with matching items?This will depend on the policy wording of the specific policy. Many policies have a "pairs and sets clause" or "matching items clause", which states that they will only pay for the damaged items. However there are some policies available that do not have this restriction and we recommend that you talk to your insurance adviser to discuss the different policies available (as well as the comparative cost).
My garden fences have been blown down in a storm, are these covered?Generally, with most insurers, the policy will exclude storm damage caused to fences, hedges, and gates.
I have an excess on my insurance policy, does this apply to every item that I claim for?The excess is an amount that is deducted from your claim. The amount of the excess will be shown in your policy. However the excess that is deducted is in respect of every incident and not every item. Therefore if you lost all your contents in a fire and had a £50 fire excess, only £50 would be deducted from the claim.
LIABILITY CLAIMS - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
We have had an incident but don't know if the employee / member of the public is going to make a claim - should I notify the insurers?It is important that you notify your insurers of any incident as soon as possible. This will give your insurers the opportunity to investigate the claim and take statements from witnesses if they need to. A claim for injury can be made up to three years after the date of the incident and a claim for property damage can be made up to six years after the date of loss or damage.
I am trying to trace the insurer who covered my former employer. My employer is no longer trading and I want to make a claim. What should I do?The Association of British Insurers has an Employer's Liability Tracing Code which helps claimants to find Employers Liability policies that may be untraceable. If you need to make a claim, please ring us and we will advise you on your best course of action. You may have legal expenses cover with ourselves to cover the legal fees.
I have been injured at work and wish to claim for my injuries and loss of income - how do I claim?Employers are required by law to have Employers' Liability Insurance. Please ring us regarding your accident, as you may have legal expenses insurance under your home policy to cover the cost of legal action
MOTOR CLAIMS FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
I have fairly minor damage to my car and don't know whether to make a claim for the damage?
Please speak to us for specific advice. What we recommend that you do may depend on various factors including:-
- The cost of repairs to your vehicle
- Whether the accident was your fault
- Whether you have details of the third party
- The level of your no claims bonus
- Your claims history
- Whether there were any injuries or any other vehicle involved
I have been injured in an accident, where the accident is not my fault. How do I claim for my injuries and loss of income for the time I have been off work?
Please ring us for specific advice. You may be covered under a legal expenses policy in your name or your employer's name or the driver's name.
My vehicle is a total loss - what documents do I need to send to the insurers?Your insurers will need the following documents , in order that they may establish the ownership of the vehicle, confirm that it has an MOT ( and the mileage recorded on the MOT), establish any extras that were fitted etc:-
1. Registration document
2. The current and preceding MOT certificates (if applicable)
3. All invoices for work undertaken on the vehicle during the last 12 months, including service records.
4. Keys for the vehicle (all sets)
5. Original purchase documents or receipt for the vehicle
6. Details of any extras fitted to the vehicle
Leaflets:-
Loss Recovery Insurance for Businesses Financial Ombudsman Service - Ombudsman News