Category Archives: Insurance Claims

Insurance Claims

The Dog Ate My Insurance Policy

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If you’re a dog owner, you know how much mayhem they can cause when they’re in the mood. Sometimes, in fact, it can lead to owners having to make insurance claims.

According to one insurer, they handled almost 4,000 insurance claims during the five years to the end of 2022 that involved damage by dogs. And the average cost of the claims, which ranged from breaking a laptop to eating a set of dentures, was £1,200.

So, while you might assume the insurer’s loss adjuster might be sceptical about a dog-related claim, it’s likely they’ve seen something similar before. Some are pure accidents, such as a dog falling into a swimming pool and damaging the pool liner (though fortunately the dog was unhurt), while another involved a nine-stone Rottweiler standing on a phone. Inevitably, the Rottweiler came off best.

On the other hand, some of the incidents were those feats only a dog can achieve. Like walking through spilt paint and trailing it all over the living-room carpets. Or chewing a pen that leaked onto the sofa.

Then again, some dog-related claims are a little simpler. Watches, wallets and jewellery are all among the items that have been lost while walking or playing with a dog.

Are Dog-Related Incidents Covered by Your Insurance Policy?

If your dog has caused loss or damage, you’d expect that you could make an insurance claim on your home insurance policy. However, this isn’t necessarily the case. Many policies specifically exclude damaged caused by chewing, scratching, tearing or fouling by domestic animals.

So how can you make sure the loss adjuster will accept your claim for canine damage? The best way is to add on a personal belongings section to your policy. This will certainly cover all those losses while out with your dog, as well as many other losses away from home, and it may also apply to damage done by dogs at home. However, it’s vital to check the wording carefully, to make sure this isn’t excluded.

And no, we’re not aware of any case of a dog eating an insurance policy. Maybe they aren’t as appetising as homework. But, if you make sure you have the appropriate cover in place, Allied Claims will be able to help you get recompense for your dog’s mischief — or accidents.

Disclaimer

All content within this column is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the Insurance advice of your own broker or any other Insurance professional. Allied Claims is not responsible or liable for any decisions made by a user based on the content of this site.

Allied Claims is not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites. Always consult your own Insurance broker if you’re in any way concerned about your insurance cover.

Insurance Claims

Frozen Pipes Can Ruin Your Home — And the Danger Isn’t Over Yet

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Right now, we’re all particularly conscious of the need to save energy, but there can be problems with talking that too far. Over this winter, insurance firms have recorded a substantial increase in insurance claims for burst pipes — and, with more cold snaps possible before spring, the danger isn’t over yet.

The problem comes when pipes have no hot water flowing through them for extended periods. Even if the temperature doesn’t get down to zero at night, the water in the pipes can freeze up, creating cracks. When the ice thaws, the pressure on the cracks can burst the pipes and flood your home.

This is an ongoing issue every winter, especially when a property is left empty  and unheated, and the insurer’s loss adjuster may sometimes take the view that this constitutes negligence and refuse the claim. This year, however, it’s worse. With energy bills reaching terrifying heights, many people are taking any opportunity to keep their heating off, and each case of this is a potential burst pipe.

Even if we don’t have any further cold spells, the damage could still have been already done. If you’ve had your heating off over the winter, you could see your pipes bursting as they thaw out. So you’ll need to keep your eyes open.

How to Protect Your Pipes

Obviously, you don’t want burst pipes in your home. Quite apart from the disruption to your life, there’s always the risk that, if you have to make an insurance claim for it, you could be left to foot the bill, because the loss adjuster turns you down.

However, there are precautions you can take:

  • Make sure all visible pipes and cold water tanks are insulated or lagged, especially if they’re in a small space, such as an attic.
  • If you have any tanks or pipes shut away, open them up to the warm air flow every so often.
  • Even if you don’t want your heating on full when you’re going to be away for a while, you don’t have to switch it off entirely. Instead, either set your thermostat low or set your timer to come on periodically, so there’s warm water flowing.
  • If you have outside taps, shut them off while you don’t need them and then drain off the supply, so there’ll be no water in the pipes to freeze.
  • Leaking taps can fill your pipes, leaving them at risk of freezing, so check if any of your taps are leaky and repair them.
  • If you’re going to be away for any extended period, turning the water supply off will mean there’s no water in the pipes to freeze.

These steps should ensure that your pipes are safe from bursting. However, if that does happen in spite of everything, you’ll have done enough that Allied Claims can be sure of getting a full pay-out for you when you make a claim.

Disclaimer

All content within this column is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the Insurance advice of your own broker or any other Insurance professional. Allied Claims is not responsible or liable for any decisions made by a user based on the content of this site.

Allied Claims is not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites. Always consult your own Insurance broker if you’re in any way concerned about your insurance cover.

Insurance Claims

Why Would You Need Shop Insurance?

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Any business needs the correct insurance in place, and retail businesses are no exception. However, if you have a shop, your insurance needs are likely to be different from most other types of business. And if you don’t have the correct shop insurance in place, the loss adjuster isn’t going to allow any insurance claim you might make.

Any retail business that operates from commercial premises needs to have shop insurance. It doesn’t necessarily have to be what’s normally thought of as a shop. For example, a café or restaurant sells to customers from a commercial premises and employs staff, so this would certainly come under the broad definition of a “shop”.

If you’re running a shop online from home, on the other hand, shop insurance doesn’t apply. That certainly doesn’t mean you don’t need insurance, but this will be different types of policy — a domestic business policy. However, your business may still qualify as a shop if you visit customers at home or their workplace.

What Does Shop Insurance Consist Of?

Shop insurance isn’t a single policy, but it can be purchased as a bundle, so there’s a single renewal process for all the components. The main elements that make up a typical shop insurance bundle are:

  • Public Liability Insurance — This offers protection against compensation claims by customers and other visitors in case of injury or property damage, as well as legal and other costs connected to the claim.
  • Employer Liability Insurance — This is essentially the same thing relating to anyone who works for you. You may not need it if you work on your own or only with close family members.
  • Shop Insurance for Premises — If you own the premises, you’ll need building insurance, though this is the responsibility of your landlord if you rent.
  • Shop Insurance for Stock — This protects your stock, especially high-value items, against fire, flood, theft or accidental damage.
  • Business Interruption Insurance — This covers you for a period during which you’re unable to trade due to an incident like fire, flood or cyber attack.

Out of these, only Employer Liability Insurance is a legal requirement, but neglecting the other policies could be fatal for your business if you need to make an insurance claim.

The are the policies that make up most core bundles of Shop Insurance, but there are plenty of other options to provide more targeted protection. These range from policies needed by a wide range of businesses, such as Product Liability and Cybercrime Insurance to more specific cover like insurance for Frozen Stock Loss or Loss of Liquor Licence.

The best plan is to go through your options with a good insurance broker, to make sure you’re covered for what you need. Then, if you need to make a claim, Allied Claims can ensure the loss adjuster pays out what you’re due.

Disclaimer

All content within this column is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the Insurance advice of your own broker or any other Insurance professional. Allied Claims is not responsible or liable for any decisions made by a user based on the content of this site.

Allied Claims is not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites. Always consult your own Insurance broker if you’re in any way concerned about your insurance cover.

Insurance Claims

5 Easy Ways to Let the Burglars Help Themselves to Your Christmas Presents

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Times are hard for everyone, including your local burglars. So, if you really want to help them out, these are five simple things you can do to help them steal your Christmas presents from under your nose. And not only that — you may even be giving your insurer’s loss adjuster a Christmas present by allowing them to turn down your insurance claim.

  1. When you receive Christmas cards, just throw the envelopes intact into the bin. That will make it easy for burglars snooping around your bins to find out your name and address and clone your identity.
  2. Keep your presents clearly on view through the windows. That will tip the burglars off that your home is worth breaking into. Even better, leave them unwrapped, so the burglars can see clearly what’s worth taking. Burglars are basically lazy — you can’t expect them to unwrap each present.
  3. When you do wrap your presents, wrap several items together — or, even better, put them into a gift bag. That will make them easier for the burglars to carry as they make their getaway.
  4. Make sure everyone knows about your holiday plans by leaving your bags and suitcases in full view. Even better, mark your holiday clearly on a calendar visible through the window — and don’t forget to announce your plans on social media.
  5. Avoid joining the Neighbourhood Watch, instead just put up a sign saying “Beware of the Dog”. That will reassure the burglars that there’s no alarm set, as the dog’s clearly moving around the house freely.

But Seriously…

Of course, if you don’t really want the burglars to get in, you can simply do the exact reverse of the advice above. And, needless to say, double lock your doors and windows whenever you’re out and invest in an effective alarm. That will not only frustrate the burglars, but also ensure that, if they should manage to get in, the loss adjuster won’t have any reason to turn down your insurance claim.

We at Allied Claims would all like to wish you a happy, burglary-free and insurance-claim-free Christmas and New Year. And if, in spite of everything, you do need to make a claim, we can handle it for you.

Allowing you a calm, silent night.

Disclaimer

All content within this column is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the Insurance advice of your own broker or any other Insurance professional. Allied Claims is not responsible or liable for any decisions made by a user based on the content of this site.

Allied Claims is not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites. Always consult your own Insurance broker if you’re in any way concerned about your insurance cover.

Insurance Claims

Cyber Crime — The Booming Sector

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Fraud has come a long way from African princes and deceased uncles you never knew you had. It’s now been reinvented as cyber crime, and it’s everywhere. In fact, if cyber crime were a legitimate business, it would be considered one of the few booming sectors at the moment.

Cyber criminals target individuals (those emails that pretend to be from your bank, for instance), but much of the serious effort is against businesses. A recent government survey found that 39% of businesses reported cyber attacks, though noting that this probably only represents businesses with sophisticated enough defences to detect the attacks.

By far the most common type of attack is phishing, where the criminals try to get enough personal data to access your bank accounts. Other common types are:

  • denial of service, which effectively closes down an organisation
  • malware, secretively installed on your devices to access systems, steal data or prevent access to your systems
  • ransomware, where the criminals steal data and demand payment for its return.

It’s estimated that, in the UK, one in 3,722 emails are phishing attacks, and there are around 65,000 attempts a day to hack SMEs, 4,500 of which are successful. That represents one SME being successfully hacked every 19 seconds.

The government survey estimates the average cost to medium and large businesses of a cyber attack as £19,400. If smaller businesses are also included, this falls to £4,200. It’s worth remembering, though, that £4,200 could be as serious for a micro business as the higher figure for a larger organisation.

How to Combat Cyber Crime

The only sure way of avoiding cyber crime entirely would be to stop using the internet — hardly a practical solution in a world that relies so totally on being online. Failing that, there are steps both businesses and individuals can take.

Perhaps the most important is to learn and practice caution. We all know we shouldn’t click on links or open attachments we’re not sure of — but a surprising number of people still do. That’s why it’s so vital for organisations to arrange ongoing cyber security training for all their people.

At the same time, there’s a range of services available to defend against cyber attacks. These could be as simple as the basic security system you put on your home computer, but there are also many complex services available, from automatically monitoring the online activities of employees to “white hat” attempts to breach your systems in order to identify weaknesses.

Nevertheless, cyber criminals are getting cleverer and more subtle all the time. An incident we came across recently illustrates how difficult it can be to stay safe. A business sent out an invoice for just under £100,000 and, when the recipient opened it, he had a feeling the Bank account number and sort code were different from previous payments. He decided to call the company — and he was right. Someone had intercepted the email and changed the bank details on the invoice.

This was a lucky escape — probably one in a million — and shows why Allied Claims would urge you to have cyber insurance in place. While it won’t end the risk or the negative effects of cyber attacks, it will mean that if, despite your best efforts, you lose money through a cyber attack, you’ll at least be able to make an insurance claim for it.

Disclaimer

All content within this column is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the Insurance advice of your own broker or any other Insurance professional. Allied Claims is not responsible or liable for any decisions made by a user based on the content of this site.

Allied Claims is not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites. Always consult your own Insurance broker if you’re in any way concerned about your insurance cover.

Insurance Claims

Insuring Your Second Home — And It Doesn’t Have to Be a Stately Home

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Back in the days of Downton Abbey, a wealthy family might well own both a London townhouse and a country seat. Although that might seem like another world, a surprising number of UK families today own a second residential property. Maybe you’re one of them.

Government data suggests that about 2.4 million households in England own a second home of some kind. The majority of these are rented out, but some are used as holiday homes or let to friends or family, while others may be inherited properties that are currently unoccupied.

While there’s no legal requirement to insure your second home, you could lose a lot of money if it’s damaged while uninsured. In any case, if you have a mortgage, it’s likely to be a requirement to have at least Building cover.

The problem is that second homes generally face different threats from your main home, and this needs to be reflected in the insurance cover needed. Otherwise, the insurer’s loss adjuster may turn you down if you have to make an insurance claim on this property.

What Kind of Insurance Do You Need?

You’ll normally need both Building and Contents insurance, unless you’re renting the property out unfurnished, in which case it’s up to the tenant to arrange Contents insurance. If you’re using it as a holiday home, on the other hand, it’s generally advisable to have Contents cover for the items you leave in the property while you’re not using it.

However, the policies you use for your main home won’t necessarily be appropriate for a second home. If the property tends to be left empty for long periods, you’ll need  a special policy allowing this, while a rented-out property may need cover for public liability, legal costs, alternative accommodation or loss of income or rent. You may also require employer’s liability insurance if you have a housekeeper, gardener etc., as well as cover for emergency travel to sort out problems.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that some insurers may not offer certain types of cover. This might include insuring a large building or a listed building (not only a problem if you’ve inherited a stately home), while policies for second homes may exclude pets, stag or hen parties or unplanned guests.

You can generally get a better deal for your second home insurance if you combine Building and Contents policies and pay annually. Improving security measures and keeping the property well maintained will also help.

However, Allied Claims would always recommend going through an insurance broker, who will advise you on exactly what you need and find you the right cover and the best deal. That way, if you need to make an insurance claim, the loss adjuster will have no reason to object to anything, and we can ensure you get a full pay-out.

Disclaimer

All content within this column is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the Insurance advice of your own broker or any other Insurance professional. Allied Claims is not responsible or liable for any decisions made by a user based on the content of this site.

Allied Claims is not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites. Always consult your own Insurance broker if you’re in any way concerned about your insurance cover.

Insurance Claims

Building or Contents — Which Policy Is Which?

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An insurance policy is one of those things most of us recognise the importance of having in place — but, because we hope never to need it, we tend not to think about it much. If you do have to make an insurance claim, though (whether it’s due to fire, flooding or theft), it’s vital to know what you’re claiming.

Whether you have one or two policies for your home, they should cover both building and for contents — and, if they don’t, get onto your insurance broker straight away. Any specific loss or damage will need to be made under one or the other of these, and claiming under the wrong one could see you turned down by the insurer’s loss adjuster.

In addition, you need to make sure you have sufficient cover. This is vital at the moment, since prices have risen sharply due to Covid, Brexit and global supply issues. If you haven’t reviewed your level of cover, you could find yourself having to pay a share of the repairs yourself.

So Which Is Which?

You’d think it would be simple enough to make your insurance claim. If something is a fixture, it should come under your building insurance, whereas anything movable should come under your contents insurance.

The trouble is that, like so much in insurance, it’s not always straightforward. Any given loss adjuster might have individual views about what’s a fixture and what isn’t. For instance, where do you stand with a carpet? It’s fixed down — but, if you had the carpet laid yourself, it could be interpreted as contents.

This applies to a much wider range of items than you might expect. Certainly, if you lose your collection of original Star Wars figures, that’s going to come under contents, as will movable furniture. What about fitted units, though? Or TV antennae on the roof? Or even laminate flooring? These can all be open to interpretation.

If you claim under the wrong policy, you could see your claim thrown out, while if you haven’t reviewed your level of cover, in the light of price rises, the pay-out may not be enough. It’s well worth reviewing your insurance policies straight away. And, if you do have to make a claim, call Allied Claims and leave it to our expertise to make sure you get everything you’re entitled to.

Disclaimer

All content within this column is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the Insurance advice of your own broker or any other Insurance professional. Allied Claims is not responsible or liable for any decisions made by a user based on the content of this site.

Allied Claims is not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites. Always consult your own Insurance broker if you’re in any way concerned about your insurance cover.

Insurance Claims

The Cracks Are Showing — And Climate Change Is Making Them Worse

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Have you ever found cracks in the walls of your home? And, if so, have you panicked or just dismissed them as unimportant?

In fact, neither reaction is very helpful. Cracks may be harmless, especially if they’re small, but it’s usually as well to get them checked out — especially in the hot, dry summers that seem likely to become common.

Allied Claims Subsidence claim 1Substantial cracks could be due to subsidence, which are most commonly caused by leaking drains or tree roots growing near the house. Tree roots can create a particular problem in hot, dry summers, since they drain the soil of its limited moisture, causing it to contract. If there’s then the expected higher rainfall in winter, the roots take up less moisture while the tree isn’t in leaf, causing the soil to push upwards again.

Repairs to minor cracks in your home may simply come under wear and tear, but subsidence could be covered by your insurance policy. So how can you tell — and what needs to be done?

Repairing Cracks in Your Home

If you have cracks more than 2.5mm wide (especially if you can see daylight through them), if they’re diagonal rather than vertical, or if there are cracks above door frames, this is likely to be a sign of subsidence, and you’ll need to get professionals in for major structural repairs or even to have the foundations underpinned and strengthened.

Subsidence claims increased in the wake of 2018’s hot summer, and this is likely to be repeated this year and into the future. According to climate science projections, the UK is likely to experience more warm, dry summers, and subsidence claims will increase accordingly, spreading to areas where they’re usually less of a problem.

While wear and tear repairs (often DIY jobs) won’t be covered by your insurance policy, major structural repairs or underpinning can normally be claimed under your Building Insurance. The increased claims, however, might make insurers more resistant to paying — which is where you’ll need our help.

If your home needs to be underpinned, this is likely to have consequences for future insurance cover, with policies harder to arrange and premiums tending to be more expensive. You might also find the property harder to sell. However, this is still better than leaving your home to collapse and needing to be rebuilt. And you might even get turned down by your insurer’s loss adjuster, if you’ve negligently avoided essential repairs.

Allied Claims would recommend you get a professional in at once if you find cracks that display any of the danger signs mentioned above. They’ll advise you on what needs to be done — and we’ll be here to make sure you receive any insurance pay-out due to you.

Insurance Claims

Comprehensive or Third Party — Which Type of Car Insurance Do You Need?

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If you’re driving a car (or even keeping it parked on the road) you’re legally obliged to insure it. Only a car that’s being kept on private property and not driven doesn’t need insurance, though then you’ll need to fill out a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN). Failure to insure your car will result in a fine, and you could be disqualified from driving.

The most common type of vehicle insurance is comprehensive car cover (sometimes known as “fully comprehensive”). This will in most cases cover an insurance claim for damage and injury involving both you and your vehicle and any third party involved. It will also cover accidental damage to your car, fire, theft and vandalism, and any items stolen from or damaged in the vehicle.

There are a few things not covered by comprehensive insurance. Typically, accidents while driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs or without a driving licence aren’t covered, and nor is theft that results from your carelessness. If you leave your car unlocked, for instance, the loss adjuster will refuse your claim. You may also not be covered if you’re driving another car, although this is something you’ll need to check on your policy.

Do You Need Comprehensive Cover?

If you’re going to be driving regularly, comprehensive cover is definitely advisable, but it isn’t actually compulsory. You can legally drive with third party car insurance, which covers damage or injury you cause to other people and their property, but not yourself. It also doesn’t cover an insurance claim for theft or damage to your car, though you can take out an intermediate type of policy known as third party, fire and theft.

So why would you choose this? Well, if you only very occasionally drive your car, it may be worth going for this restricted but cheaper cover. Alternatively, your car may have a low market value, or you may be able to get it repaired cheaply. In these cases, comprehensive insurance could actually cost more than repairing or writing off your vehicle at your own expense.

As might be expected, third party cover is traditionally cheaper than comprehensive — but there’s a problem. Third party is often chosen by high-risk drivers, such as those who have just passed their test, so that insurance companies find themselves paying out more frequently, which in turn pushes up the cost. The gap in price between comprehensive and third party is closing.

So which should you choose? If you’re a frequent driver or have a high-value car, then comprehensive is a no-brainer. Otherwise, Allied Claims would advise you to get quotes for both options and compare them — or, even better, go through an insurance broker who could make your options clear.

 

Insurance Claims

Car Thieves Don’t Want Your Car Now — Just Bits of It

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Car theft is hardly a new danger — it’s as old as cars themselves. Figures have shown sharp rises recently, though, and there’s a new aspect. It turns out that today’s car thieves aren’t so interested in your car for itself. They just want to sell off the parts.

Figures show that, in the 12 months to March 2022, a total of 88,915 vehicles were stolen nationwide — that works out as 244 thefts a day. In some regions, this represents a massive year-on-year rise in cases — 12% in Surrey, 19% in the West Midlands, 25% in the City of London and an astounding 28% in South Yorkshire.

There’s a new element to all this, however. A lot of these thieves aren’t stealing cars in order to resell them, but to strip them down and sell the parts.

There are several reasons for this. Many car parts became difficult to get hold of during the pandemic, and this issue is still affecting supplies. At the same time, the cost of raw materials has sky-rocketed, making parts expensive and creating a demand for cheaper options. A stripped-down car can bring in more from the sum total of its parts than would have been the case for the complete vehicle.

Is Your Car Really Locked?

You might think you’re safe from car thieves if you always remember to lock your car — but that’s not necessarily true. The latest trick from the car thieves means that a vehicle may still not be secure, even if you believe it’s locked.

This is an electronic device that blocks the signal when you lock your car electronically. Whether you leave your car at the roadside or in a large retail car park, this means that, as soon as you’re gone, the thieves can make off with your car.

The good news is that there is a defence against this. Whether you have an electronic fob or a keyless entry/start, storing your key in a Faraday box or pouch at home will prevent the thieves’ signal blocking it. At the moment, an insurance claim for a car stolen by these means will probably succeed, but it’s only a matter of time before the insurer’s loss adjuster decides that failure to use this protection is negligence. You could find your claim refused.

Allied Claims would advise you to use any safeguard you can to avoid your car joining the growing statistics. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, though. Just getting into the habit of testing that the door really is locked could be the difference that saves your vehicle.