Claims tips
Roderick Insurance Brokers are pleased to provide our clients with a list of handy tips in the event of making a Business, Home and Contents, or Motor Vehicle insurance claim.
Business insurance claim tips
Fire
In the event of a fire:
- discuss with the fire brigade what services are available for temporary protection of buildings and contents
- notify police immediately if arson is suspected
- obtain Event or Report numbers from both the police and fire brigade, the identity of the attending police and senior fire brigade officers, as well as their respective station.
Professional indemnity and directors’ and officers’ liability claims
Professional indemnity and directors’ and officers’ liability policies are written on a “claims made” basis. It is a condition that:
- all claims made against you, by way of writ, summons, or legal notice or
- any circumstance or incident which comes to your attention which may give rise to a claim at a later date must be notified to the insurer immediately you become aware of them.
If the insurer is not notified during the policy period, you become aware of the incident or claim, you may not have cover for any future claim arising out of the incident or circumstance.
A claim is any indication you receive from someone either verbally or in writing that you receive from any party that they are unhappy and hold you responsible for the consequences.
A claim circumstance is anything that you become aware of which could give rise to someone making a claim against you.
You should contact our commercial insurance brokers in Geelong or Werribee as soon as you become aware of a claim, potential claim or circumstance prior to providing written confirmation.
Public and products liability claims
Public liability
The policy provides protection for legal liability to the public (third parties) for bodily injury or damage to property and protects the insured party for amounts for which they are legally liable. The policy covers any insured activity of the insured anywhere within the Commonwealth of Australia.
Products liability
Products liability insurance forms part of the public liability policy and relates to liability for goods sold or supplied.
Recommended actions:
- all claims should be reported to us as soon as practicable
- offer assistance to any injured party within your training and experience
- contact the ambulance service or other emergency service if required
- do not admit any liability or offer to make any payment to any person
- take care not to inflame the situation.
Information to be collected and provided to your insurance broker includes:
- full details of the incident
- photographs of the scene and the damage or injury if possible. Naturally do not photograph the injury if it will endanger life or inflame the situation
- full details of the incident with the full names and addresses of witnesses if possible.
- do not reply to any correspondence received and forward it direct to us.
General note on negligence
The public or products liability policy is not a personal accident policy. A legal liability has to be shown to attach to the insured, its employees or volunteers by the claimant before they will succeed in a recovery.
A legal liability may arise through a contract between the parties, government regulations or under tort.
As a general rule, under most torts such as the tort of negligence, a claimant will have to prove three things to be successful:
- the person that they are seeking to recover from owed them a duty of care
- the person they are seeking to recover from breached this duty of care
- as a result of this breach of duty of care, they suffered injury or loss or damage to property.
Please note: insurers may request further information depending upon the circumstances or your claim.
Home and contents insurance claim tips
Accidental loss, theft or malicious damage
- report claims to the police immediately
- obtain the Event number and the identity of the attending police as well as their station
- if damage to your premises affects security, you should have emergency repairs performed immediately to ensure the premises are lockable
- proof of ownership of stolen goods will be requested, including original purchase invoice, credit card statement showing purchase, photos and valuations
- A repair or replacement quote for lost, stolen or damaged items will be required.
Storm damage
- make any necessary emergency repairs or make-safe actions to minimise loss
- wet carpets should be dried
- quotes for repair and replacement of damaged items will be required.
Water damage to carpets
- make any necessary emergency repairs to minimise loss
- contact a restoration company or carpet cleaner to arrange for the carpet to be dried
- the repairer will need to provide a report on the damage
- if the carpet is not salvageable, a replacement quotation will be required.
Check our emergency contact numbers for water damage and carpet cleaning services.
Broken glass
- arrange glass repair
- repair quotation or tax invoice will need to be provided.
Fusion and machinery breakdown
- arrange a repair report, including the age of the motor
- provide a repair or replacement quotation.
Power surge
- obtain a letter from the local power company showing the date and the reason for the power surge in your area
- obtain a repair report
- provide a repair or replacement quotation.
Spoilage of food
- provide a list of the perished food and a replacement cost for the goods.
Please note: insurers may request further information depending upon the circumstances or your claim.
Motor vehicle insurance claim tips
In the event of an accident involving another vehicle, please observe the following procedure:
- Do not admit any liability or offer to may any payment – let the Insurance Company work out who is to blame
- Obtain and/or write down the following information:
- registration number of other vehicle
- name, address and phone number of owner and their insurer
- name, license number, address and phone number of driver of other vehicle
- date, time and place (street address) of accident
- names, addresses and phone numbers of any witnesses
- details of damage to the other vehicle or property. Sketch a diagram of the incident scene showing were each vehicle was travelling prior to impact and where accident occurred.
If you believe your vehicle is drivable, it is important to ensure that it is in fact safe to do so. Are all lights working, are mirrors operational, is the radiator and all cooling, oil and fuel lines undamaged? Are the tyres undamaged or is something likely to damage them?
Before you obtain a quotation for repair from a panel beater of your choice, it is usually quicker for you to contact us so that we can discuss assessment requirements with you and get insurer’s authority for repairs to commence. Please note the majority of insurers have their own panel of repairers that you will be required to use. All repairs carried out by one of an insurer’s preferred repairers are usually guaranteed for life by your insurer and often there is no need for an assessor to attend.
It is always prudent to check what policy excess is going to apply, determine if you will lose your no claim bonus, and if so what the penalty for this will be. You are then in a position to determine if it is economic for you to claim under your insurance policy.
If your car cannot be driven:
- have it towed to a panel beater of your choice
- make a note of the tow truck operator’s details and the repairer’s details
- advise us of the vehicle’s location as soon as practical so we can discuss assessment requirements with you and get insurer’s authority for repairs to commence
- where the likelihood of any injury claim exists a claim also needs to be lodged with the vehicle’s current Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurer.
Once repairs are completed we will assist with the recovery of your policy excess if you are not at fault. If you are not at fault and damage is less than your policy excess we may assist with the recovery of your repair costs from the party at fault. Most insurers do not offer this service.
Under no circumstances should any correspondence from any third party be answered. Please forward all correspondence to us for your insurer to respond.
Please note: insurers may request further information depending upon the circumstances or your claim.