Managing Claims – Our Experience, Capability & Services
Contents:
- 1. Large Claims / Serious Incidents
- 2. Motor Fleet claims / ‘A different Ball Game’
- 3. Our Online Facility for Clients
1. Large Claims / Serious Incidents
Let’s be clear about this.
From experience.
These types of Claims can threaten the following:
the viability of your company / your staff’s ongoing employment / your personal reputation and financial position
UK & Global’s belief is that an Insurance Broker needs the following qualities to deal with Large claims:
Calmness / Technical knowledge / Ability to co-ordinate Insurers & Loss Adjusters to be ‘on site & in good time’ / Negotiate the settlement
But, most of all, the Broker needs to have ‘Range and Perspective’.
The ability to quickly form a view of ‘These will be the different stages of this Claim which will develop’ only comes from experience of the most serious incidents.
The Insurance Broker needs to be able to judge the difference between:
‘What needs to be arranged’ v ‘What is really important’
So, What is ‘Really Important’ when dealing with a Large Claim?
1) Getting the right people on site very quickly.
This will always include a Loss Adjuster, sometimes a Forensic Analyst and often a Claims Representative from the Insurer.
2) Getting the Insurer’s confirmation that ‘Indemnity is Confirmed’
The sooner this is achieved, the sooner the client can focus on the detail of the Recovery process.
The speed with which ‘Indemnity is Confirmed’ is an indication of the thoroughness with which the Broker has placed the Insurance cover.
There should be ‘No Surprises’ for the client, Insurer or the Broker just because a Serious Incident occurs.
3) The Insurance Broker should ‘Drive Events’ not follow them
If a Loss Adjuster is dragging their heels, or not being clear enough in their feedback, a sort of ‘hiding behind their words’, it is the role of the Insurance Broker to ‘get involved and bring everyone back on track’.
Firm but fair and keeping momentum going in the right direction.
4) Anticipating Adverse Developments & Creating Strategies in Advance
Instinct, through experience, can often play a part in anticipation of an adverse development during any stage of the handling of a Large claim.
In the ‘middle’ part of dealing with a Large claim it is not unusual for a Loss Adjuster to start to question elements, and quantum, of the claim as part of their role to keep the Insurer’s claim settlement as low as may be possible.
‘We’re not certain if the policy cover applies to this item of Property’
‘This seems to be Betterment rather than Replacement’
and a somewhat routine catch-all of:
‘At the moment we’re not exactly sure if there is a Loss of Profit claim…’
The Insurance Broker should:
- sense when such moments are about to materialise
- have strategies in place to receive these comments in a calm and ordered manner
- be able to provide meaningful responses which either nullify the points raised or persuade the Loss Adjuster to accept the Insurance Broker’s reasoning
UK & Global’s team has the experience and capability to handle Large claims on behalf of clients and recognises ‘what is important’ at each stage of the claim.
You will be in Safe Hands at the most difficult times.
2. Motor Fleet claims – ‘a different Ball Game’
We are very experienced in managing Motor Fleet claims – and – we enjoy doing it on behalf of our clients. All of it.
From initial reporting of an incident to arranging payment of an Uninsured Loss Recovery (ULR) back to our client.
So why are Motor Fleet claims ‘a different Ball Game’?
Motor Fleet policies are one of the very few Insurance covers which can incur dozens of claims during each period of insurance.
Therefore, in our experience, management of the Claims process, and the Relationships within the process, make Motor Fleet claims ‘a different Ball Game’.
So what do UK & Global do?
- Essentially it is the provision of a ‘Same Day / Next day’ response standard but within a clear structure with the Claims Process agreed with, and followed by, all Parties.
i.e. If we receive a new claim, or some kind of development, we will look to action on the Same Day but, if for some reason this cannot be done, we will action it on the Next (working) Day.
- Clients become accustomed to UK & Global’s prompt attention, response timescales
- UK & Global ‘see things through’ and, when they occur, we unlock delays in the Repair or Settlement process
So How Do We Get This Organised?
- Understand which of the client’s personnel are involved in the administration of Motor Fleet claims
- Work out a Claims Process which works best for the client
- Agree the step-by-step detail of the agreed process with the Insurer Partner
- Issue a formal Claims procedure for all Parties to follow
- Early reporting of each claim
- We ‘follow the agreed procedure’ to ensure consistency of approach
- Keep our clients very well informed on the progress of all claims
Summary
We believe that Brokers need to understand the following:
- the dynamics of Motor Fleet claims
- how to create a clear Claims Process which all parties can easily follow
- how to anticipate where the Claims Process can go wrong;
- how to ‘keep all parties moving forward’ on any individual claim
Management of Motor Fleet claims takes organisation, good communication, web-based administration systems and the mindset to ‘see things through to the end’
UK & Global is very experienced in the management of Motor Fleet claims – and understands the importance of this discipline for our clients.
3. Claims System
Our Online Facility for Clients
We provide our clients with what we believe is the UK’s premier web-based Claims Facility and an Essential Risk Management Tool.
What our Claims Facility provides for you:
A) In depth detail for each individual claim
B) Annual Claims Experience for:
- Each individual Insurance policy; and
- Each annual period of insurance
C) Bespoke Claims Reports as required / preferred by your company
- Simple, direct access to your own Claims information through an encrypted password
- A reduction in the amount of time you spend in ‘chasing’ information or updates on a specific Claim and / or Annual Claims Experience
- Claims reports, Incident Analysis and Management Information according to your particular preferences
- Ability to access your up to date individual and Annual Claims Experience at all times
We can provide you with access to an Example Facility which will enable you to navigate through the different fields and personally experience the range of our capability.