A large period family home was badly damaged by fire.
Trevor Kelly, a Loss Assessor from Insurance Claim Solutions was asked to assist with managing the insurance claim. We had handled a claim previously for the owners; following referral by their insurance brokers a number of years ago.
Trevor attended the site within 24 hours of receiving the call and captured photographic evidence of the loss.
The property stands on its own grounds. The fire caused considerable damage to the entire property and all that remained were the external walls. The roof was damaged, thus causing the entire building to be unstable.
Following our initial site visit we advised our clients to appoint a professional architect and structural engineer immediately. The architect and engineers were appointed to assist us in determining the correct procedure to progress. The architect was employed to liaise with local authorities and to determine if planning permission was required for the rebuild and to complete drawings.
Trevor liaised with the architect, consultant structural engineer in conjunction with insurance company to formulate a plan for the strip out and stabilisation of existing structure.
The reinstatement of the property was complicated by the fact that the property was subject to planning conditions. The architect following a meeting confirmed that planning permission was required and that a full planning application was required before any reinstatement works were commenced.
A contractor was appointed to carry out stabilisation and protection works. These works were carried out to avoid any further damage to structure, risk to health and safety of professionals, potential trespassers and to mitigate the loss.
The building was sympathetically stripped out and the stabilisation, bracing and support structures installed pending the grant of planning permission. The building featured exquisite fixtures and fittings and these were removed for storage, restoration and refitting. During the strip-out and stabilisation, ICS loss assessor attended the site every 2-3 days to monitor the progress and document the works.
The fire had destroyed not only the building but also the furniture, clothing, contents, artwork, fixtures and fitting and caused considerable distress to the homeowners. The Insurance Claim Solutions Claims Manager compiled the claim for the building, its fixtures and the contents, and dealt with the insurer on the value and terms of the claim on the owners’ behalf.
The claim covered the restoration of the house. As the property was uninhabitable for a long time, our clients required an extensive period of alternative accommodation, and ICS handled this part of the claim as well.
ICS Loss Assessor provided an end-to-end claim management service that included loss assessment, compilation and filing of the insurance claim, negotiations with the insurers and their loss adjuster on the settlement amount and terms, and monitoring of the claim right through to settlement.