WORKING EXCLUSIVELY FOR YOU

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1 WORKING EXCLUSIVELY FOR YOU

2 WHY YOU SHOULD USE OUR SERVICES Attempting to handle a property insurance claim is traumatic, complex and time-consuming, especially when undertaken at the very point your family needs you, or when your business is under added pressure. There is, however, professional help at hand to support and guide you through these difficult times - LTD. After a fire or flood, policyholders are rarely made aware that they are entitled to appoint their own Chartered Loss Adjuster to assist them. Your insurers will simply appoint their own loss adjuster to represent themselves and settle the claim with their own interests in mind. Appointing your own chartered loss adjuster will ensure you are treated fairly and that you will achieve the best settlement available under your policy. LTD are members of the Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusters (CILA) and are fully authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Our team of Chartered Loss Adjusters will assist and guide you through the entire claims process from start to finish. We will provide you with professional representation - taking care of meetings, claim preparation and negotiation of the claim on your behalf. LTD: PROVIDE FULL UK COVERAGE WITH 24/7 HELPLINE HAVE EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN BOTH COMMERCIAL AND DOMESTIC SECTORS ALLOCATE A DEDICATED CHARTERED LOSS ADJUSTER TO EACH CLAIM ATTEND AND ASSIST AT MEETINGS WITH THOSE REPRESENTING THE INSURER HELP YOU WITH ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION AND ARRANGE EMERGENCY PAYMENTS PROVIDE FULL CLAIM PREPARATION, SUBMISSION AND NEGOTIATION - ENSURING YOU RECEIVE THE BEST POSSIBLE SETTLEMENT OFFER CLEAR, COMPREHENSIVE ADVICE - KEEPING YOU ADVISED AND UPDATED THROUGHOUT SUPPLY A SCHEDULE OF WORKS PREPARED BY A QUALIFIED SURVEYOR CAN ADVISE YOU REGARDING SPECIALIST RESTORATION SERVICES AND APPROVED CONTRACTORS TO REINSTATE YOUR PROPERTY ENSURE YOUR CLAIM IS SETTLED PROMPTLY AND FAIRLY LTD DEAL WITH CLAIMS ARISING FROM: FIRE FLOOD ESCAPE OF WATER STORM DAMAGE PLUMBING & DRAINAGE THEFT IMPACT SUBSIDENCE & BUILDING DEFECTS BUSINESS INTERRUPTION CAVITY WALL INSULATION

3 WHAT CILA HAVE TO SAY HELP FOR POLICYHOLDERS THE CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF LOSS ADJUSTERS Insurer's Loss Adjuster The Insurer's loss adjuster will visit the policyholder, within days after submission of the claim form, to discuss the circumstances of the claim. The loss adjuster will check: That the loss or damage falls within the terms of the insurance policy That the sums insured on the policy are adequate That the amounts being claimed are fair and reasonable That all valid items of claim have been included and nothing omitted facts on the matter and is able to make a decision. Policyholder's Loss Adjuster Policyholders can also appoint their own Chartered Loss Adjuster to act on their behalf in connection with corporate, commercial and domestic claims. The Loss Adjuster will assist with organising emergency works and if necessary arrange alternative accommodation or in the case of commercial losses temporary premises to enable trading to continue. The Policyholder s Loss Adjuster liaises directly with the Insurers Loss Adjuster as the claim progresses dealing with all meetings, correspondence and communication. Advice is given as regards the appointment of Surveyors, Architects and other Professionals to ensure In domestic situations the Loss Adjuster will also deal with preparing a list of damaged Contents items for submission to the Insurer s Loss Adjuster. With regard to commercial claims Inventories are prepared for Contents and Stock losses. Under commercial policies the Loss Adjuster will also deal with the Business Interruption claim and all aspects relating to interruption to trading. The Loss Adjuster you appoint will look after your interests as the claim proceeds and prepare the claim and negotiate settlement on your behalf. FAQs Q. Why should I appoint a Chartered Loss Adjuster rather than a Loss Assessor? a Royal Charter and are subject to the Institute s Code of Conduct. All Policyholders' Loss Adjusters are FSA Regulated Q. If the Insurers have appointed their own Loss Adjuster do I need a Loss Adjuster acting on my behalf? A. The Insurer s Loss Adjuster is paid by the Insurer to act on their behalf, and under the Charter they are required to act fairly and justly. However, you may prefer to engage a Loss Adjuster to represent your interests. Your Adjuster will ensure that you are treated fairly and achieve the best settlement available under the policy. Q. At what stage of the claim should I instruct a Loss Adjuster? A. Ideally immediately after discovery of the loss or damage in order that he or she can handle all discussions and negotiations with your Insurer s Loss Adjuster. Q. Do I need a Loss Adjuster for a small claim? A. As a general guide you should consider appointing a Loss Adjuster for claims over 10,000. Q. Will my Insurance Broker help me with my claim? A. If you are insured through a Broker they often help with your claim however Brokers generally do not have the claims expertise of a represent you..com EXTRACTS TAKEN FROM CILA WEBSITE DECEMBER

4 WHAT HAPPENS NEXT Should you appoint Public Loss Adjusters Ltd (PLA) to look after your interests by handling your claim: PLEASE ENSURE YOU HAVE TELEPHONED YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY TO NOTIFY THEM OF YOUR CLAIM THERE IS NO NEED TO CONTACT YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY OR THEIR LOSS ADJUSTER REGARDING OUR APPOINTMENT AS WE WILL NOTIFY ALL PARTIES DIRECTLY OF OUR INVOLVEMENT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT 1. You will receive a telephone call from your PLA Loss Adjuster to introduce themselves. 2. Our preferred contractors will be in contact to deal with Gas / Electrical / Emergency Repairs 3. PLA s preferred Fire & Flood Restoration contractor, will contact you to arrange attendance to survey your 4. Your PLA Loss Adjuster will arrange a meeting with your Insurers or their respective Loss Adjuster, to discuss the claim whilst ensuring that your best interests are protected. NB The date of the meeting is subject to the availability of your Insurers. 5. In the event of larger claims your PLA Loss Adjuster will agree the appointment of an independent surveyor with your Insurers. This surveyor will be responsible for drawing up the schedule of works which will be arranged at a later date during the claim process. WHAT NOT TO DO / BE AWARE OF 1. Avoid all direct contact with Insurers, their loss adjusters or any other of their representatives. This could potentially confuse, delay or even jeopardise your claim. Remember - we are appointed to take care of all matters on your behalf. 2. WARNING/BE AWARE: On occasions Insurers or their representatives may attempt to dissuade you from instructing YOUR OWN independent Loss Adjuster. This is purely an attempt to protect THEIR OWN interests by taking control of the claim. Remember PLA are here to protect YOUR interests at all times. you have any queries or concerns please call us immediately. 4. Please do not meet or discuss your claim with anyone appointed by Insurers or their representatives without prior knowledge of PLA or a representative of PLA being present. 5. Please do not dispose of any damaged property before we have had the opportunity to inspect it..com CALL TODAY ON

5 GUIDE TO FREE LOSS ADJUSTING A Guide to Our Free Loss Adjusting Services Call our Free 24/7 Helpline for Advice or Information: Insurers' Loss Adjusters are paid varying fees to handle claims working on the Insurers behalf. We would normally charge our clients a set management fee from the overall claims settlement figure to work on your behalf. So how can we offer a free service? Surely there's a catch! The simple answer - there is no catch! We do exactly the same as the loss adjusting companies do when insurers appoint them directly, except we work on your behalf. Almost all the major loss adjusting companies appointed by insurers have building networks and surveying companies that work on THEIR behalf; almost all of those are owned or controlled by the very same loss adjusters. Examples of Insurance Companies appointed Loss Adjuster Building & Surveying networks are: Cunningham Lindsey own the Oriel Network and have their own in-house surveying company Crawfords control the Repairnet Network and have their own in-house surveying company Davies control the Eastwell Network and have their own in-house surveying company All building contractors on the above networks have to pay management fees to the loss adjusting companies, who own or control them, for the privilege of their appointment to the required building works. In addition Insurers pay their loss adjusters for the appointment of surveyors which again are owned or controlled by the very same loss adjusters. This information is rarely disclosed to the policyholder at the outset of the claim; more commonly they are advised by the loss adjuster that the appointed company is the Insurers approved contractor/surveyor. The Insurers preferred networks (i.e. their OWN loss adjusters, and in turn their own surveyors) are employed to help reduce the Insurance Company s liability costs - the amount the Insurers pay to settle your claim. No part of this network is working on your behalf. It is unlikely, (if you were made aware you had a choice by your Insurance company), you would choose to use a contractor whose aim was to reduce the claim amount for the benefit of the Insurance Company. In fact, it seems like an obvious conflict of interest - yet it is one which policyholders (especially in a distressed state of mind following a fire or flood) are rarely aware of. Various insurers who have directly employed loss adjusters or claim handlers, try to appoint other so-called building networks' on a direct basis. These insurers, in every case, have agreed reduced building rates in order to reduce their liability costs. We are not stating that it is absolutely impossible for these contractors to return your property to its pre-loss condition. However, ask yourself a question: If you employed a 300 a day joiner originally to do your work, is a 100 a day joiner likely to produce the same quality of workmanship? So, to sum up, the Insurer is employing/paying (or owns) the loss adjuster THEY appoint to handle your claim, and the loss adjuster is employing/paying (or owns) the building/surveying company THEY appoint to handle your claim. WHO EXACTLY IS ACTING ON YOUR BEHALF? Public Loss Adjusters Ltd will recommend an INDEPENDENT Contractor network. These contractors do not work on pre-arranged rates and work on your behalf alongside your appointed PLA Loss Adjuster and independent surveyors, ensuring you receive your full entitlement under the terms of your policy. We give you the choice. We merely recommend these companies. It is YOUR right to use a contractor of your choice. SHOULD YOU DECIDE TO USE OUR RECOMMENDED CONTRACTORS, THEY WILL PAY US YOUR MANAGEMENT FEE ON THE BUILDINGS ELEMENT OF YOUR CLAIM, LEAVING YOU WITH A FREE SERVICE.COM CALL TODAY ON

6 APPROVED SPECIALIST CONTRACTORS & SURVEYORS PLA APPROVED FIRE & FLOOD RESTORATION NETWORKS PLA can recommend independently managed fire & flood restoration companies. Our approved specialists have been specifically chosen because of their expertise and experience within the industry. All contractors are trained by the British Damage Management Association (BDMA) or Institute of Cleaning & Restoration (IICRC) to senior technician level to ensure they have knowledge in all aspects of drying and restoration, caused by fire flood or escape of water. Full due-diligence has been carried out to ensure that all contractors are fully qualified and adequately insured. Our approved restoration contractors are available nationally, with a dedicated 24/7 emergency call out available in your time of distress. Our approved network understands how disruptive an emergency event can be and by responding to your needs quickly, can often reduce the level of damage and prevent secondary damage occurring. Using our approved contractors; specialist technicians, equipment and support staff, will ensure personal or business disruption is kept to a bare minimum. This in turn will provide savings to both insurers and policyholders, along with a reduction in time frame required to reinstate the property back to its pre-loss condition. PLA APPROVED CONTRACTOR NETWORKS PLA can recommend and help you choose contractors from independently managed, insurance approved networks to assist you making an informed choice. These networks provide full UK coverage and have passed our stringent vetting, compliance and quality control procedures, giving you, our client, peace of mind. All contractors take pride in the high quality workmanship they offer combined with exemplary levels of service. Remember, it is your right to appoint contractors, not your Insurers. All works completed by a contractor from the approved network will carry a two year guarantee. Our approved contractor networks are highly experienced in the handling of insurance related property claims and have worked with most major loss adjusting firms and Insurance Companies within the UK. We are here to guide you through the building reinstatement process from start to finish, working alongside your surveyor to ensure your property is returned to its pre-loss condition. PLA APPROVED EMERGENCY RESPONSE NETWORK Whether it is your family home or your business premises, fire & flood can cause serious structural damage to your property, as well as leaving it at high risk from further damage such as theft, vandalism or the elements. You may be surprised to know that immediately after the claim, it is YOUR (the policyholder) responsibility to protect the property from further loss, not the Insurance Company s. Through our nationwide emergency response network, PLA can arrange for approved contractors to facilitate services such as emergency boarding up, replacement of locks, security fencing and emergency roof repairs. Costs for provided services are usually recoverable from your insurance company and should be reimbursed once they accept to deal with the claim. PLA APPROVED CHARTERED CIOB/RICS SURVEYOR NETWORK PLA can recommend independent chartered surveying practices, chartered building consultants and structural engineers to represent your interest. All surveyors and engineers are either members of Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) or the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB.) All surveyors work to globally-recognised standards of best practise in management, professionalism and competency. Working with PLA and our panel will ensure that all required works included in the schedule will be carried out to the highest standard..com CALL TODAY ON

7 USEFUL CONTACTS CILA The Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusters Tel: Web: CIOB Chartered Institute of Building Tel: Web Southern Office Tel: Web: FCA Financial Conduct Authority Tel: Web: RICS Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors Tel: Web: Northern Office Tel: Web: FINANCIAL OMBUDSMAN SERVICE UK Tel: complaint-info@financial-ombudsman.ork.uk Web: THE INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR NETWORK LTD Tel: support@icnltd.co.uk Web: Scotland Office Tel: info@publicla.co.uk Web: publiclossadjustersscotland.com NATIONAL FLOOD FORUM UK Tel: heather.shepherd@floodforum.org.uk Web: DRITECH DISASTER RESTORATION NETWORK LTD Tel: info@dritech.co.uk Web: Ireland Office Tel: (00353) info@publiclossadjusters.ie Web: CALL TODAY ON

8 WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY Mr Salami & Family We would sincerely like to thank yourself, and the team for the extraordinary job. That you have conducted over the past several months, as you now have completed the reconstruction of our property. We are completely aware that it has not been an easy road throughout, and your team have overcome various hurdles to have reached the stage that you are today. We also hope that you have not faced too many difficulties along the way, and as a family we able to support your requests to the best of our ability. Having monitored the work that your team have conducted throughout the reconstruction of our property, we can only praise the effort and dedication that has gone into making this project a success. No words can express the gratitude that we fell by the completion of the house, and we can say that the property now looks fantastic! The horrific event that befell the family last September 2015 took its toll on the family, but now the future is now looking bright again and your team are a major reason for this outcome. Many thanks, again to yourself & the team and we hope to hear from you in the future. Austin McCloud We have already submitted a review of the service we received from Public Loss Adjusters, however I wanted to also add another review for John who I have been dealing with since we were in the Premier inn waiting for our alternative accommodation. I received my first call from PLA Loss Adjuster, John and immediately he wanted to know how we were dealing with things as a family and assuring us that he would be there for us with any queries and that his knowledge of working in the insurance industry would very helpful in dealing with the claim. Since that call he has been here every step of the way in seamlessly sorting out arranging for surveyors, builders, contents insurance claims and even the small claims like helping to re-claim the cost of the van hire and the food while were staying at the Premier inn. He s has had to deal with my countless calls and s (sometimes at very unsociable times) he has been working well into the late evening and always contacting me without delay as soon as he had a piece of news regarding how the claim was progressing, you always knew where you were and his no nonsense approach and honesty always put my mind at rest during probably the most stressful time of our lives to date. John would always make sure that all the people he dealt with on our behalf were doing what they were supposed to be doing and keeping things moving and that s what made the whole process great, that I always felt that he was on our side, fighting for us and the fact he has legal knowledge made everything credible when going up against big insurers. I can t recommend John highly enough and wouldn t hesitate in recommending him and can assure you that will be in the right hands during your claim. Cook s Garden Machinery Limited Following a substantial fire at our premises back in May of 2015 and the ensuing disruption afterwards, we were confident that we would be able to call upon the expertise of our insurance company to help and guide us back to normality. Having been with the same insurance company for over 10 years we assumed that we could rely on them to deal with our resulting claim swiftly meaning we would suffer as little disruption to our business as was possible under difficult circumstances. -Unfortunately, this was not the case. Following two visits from different loss adjusters we found that at every possible opportunity barriers were put up delaying payments, misinterpretation of policy wording meant we were left confused as to which areas of our business were covered and poor communication between departments left us very frustrated at an already difficult time. We contacted PLA for help and only wish now we had contacted PLA on day one. Our first visit by a Director of PLA gave us confidence that we were dealing with a very professional company. He outlined how things would proceed and explained some of the areas of the claim that we were unsure of. At every stage of the claim from then on we were kept informed of progress. Where doubt of liability arose with the insurance company, PLA fought our corner for us. We are absolutely certain that without the help of PLA we would not have reached the settlement we did with insurers. We would strongly recommend PLA to anybody who finds themselves in the position we were in and would urge that advice be sought from them at the outset of the claim and not left later as we did. For and on behalf of Cook s Garden Machinery Limited..COM CALL TODAY ON

9 ACHIEVE THE BEST SETTLEMENT WITH OUR KNOWLEDGE & EXPERTISE LTD WITH YOU EVERY STEP OF THE WAY CALL OUR 24/7 HELPLINE FOR FREE INFORMATION AND ADVICE FROM OUR IN HOUSE LOSS ADJUSTERS UK SCOTLAND IRELAND (00353) Web: LIMITED Public Loss Adjusters Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Public Loss Adjusting Group (PLA) which is authorised to hold and control client money under FCA Registration LTD IRELAND SCOTLAND publiclossadjusters.com publiclossadjusters.ie publiclossadjustersscotland.com REGIONAL BRANCHES ACROSS THE UK AND IRELAND