Hart Owens Group Plc
real people, real partnerships
Case Studies
International steel forger - spotting a trend for increased claims
We quickly identified the pattern of increasing liability claims, and stepped in before it got serious!
Prior to their policy renewal we looked into ways and means of both improving the safety on site, their understanding of maintaining safety and ways of handling existing claims to keep costs low.
Ultimately it meant that we were able to renew without an increase in costs.
International healthcare group, UK Division – defending against false claims
Hart Owens inherited a claim from their previous insurers. The case was a sensitive Employers’ Liability claim for stress. Following careful investigation though, we found that the case was weak and that the claim could probably be successfully defended. We assisted and supported our client in the defence, assembling documentation and evidence from witnesses.
The plaintiff lost the case, and paid costs. For such a large organisation, often vulnerable to high numbers of such claims it sent out an important message to staff that claims would be investigated, and where false, defended.
Motor home manufacturer – the importance of managing your risks
Following our mid-term appointment, we identified some problems with their internal systems and housekeeping. During a period of unprecedented growth, and with great pressure on the production lines, the standards of Health and Safety had fallen considerably. In spite of this, their previous advisors had failed to alert them to the increased dangers of their own workplace, and exposure to higher risks.
We were given a six week period by the insurers to rectify the situation, a demanding timescale that was put in place to test the clients commitment to making things right. We worked hard with the client to manage the process of turning things around in incredibly tight timescales. With weekly visits and support from our Health and Safety team, we reassured the insurers that the situation had been sufficiently altered, although work to improve the situation continued for the following 6 months at the end of which we had managed to significantly reduce premiums.
The current insurers now use this as a test case, illustrating what can be achieved when client, insurers and brokers work closely together to deliver better outcomes.
Department store – claiming for fire damage
When our client called at midday to tell us of a fire in a store where they owned a franchise, we had their account manager with them, on site, within a few hours, arranging for the loss adjusters from the insurers to be present. Despite the initial suggestion by the department store owners that the fire may have been the fault of our client, we were able to prove that this was not the case. Working with the adjusters we were able to gather the necessary information and witness statements to identify the likely source.
By coincidence we had placed the insurance with an alternative insurer only two days prior to the incident. One of the main criteria we use in selecting insurers, other than cost, is their approach to claims management. In this instance, the insurer was true to their word and brought about a speedy resolution to a potentially difficult situation.
The store did not open for a further three months and we remained heavily involved throughout the claims process. From co-ordinating the work needed in our client’s area and dealing with staff retention in the interim we also prepared the Business Interruption claim with the insurer. Once this had been finalised we could assist the insurer to make a recovery from the store insurers in order that the claim is not held against our client.
TV Studio Equipment – dealing with major theft
Our client was burgled just after Christmas, leading to real operational problems. Thieves had broken into their building via a cement asbestos roof, punching a hole in the panels. The fabric of the building made repairs very difficult, but that was only the beginning of the challenges we faced.
The building was also leased, and problems began with getting the owners to co-operate with repairs. Their reluctance made things difficult and required us to work hard to keep the client calm and objective. There were also significant barriers to valuing many of the stolen items because they were specialist items.
Hart Owens worked with the insurers’ appointed loss adjustors, project managing the claim throughout the process. We managed to secure the client’s initial estimate of loss, in spite of problems with accurate valuation. We also claimed put together the claim for the business interruption loss, paid in instalments until the full settlement could be paid out at the close of the claim.