Last month the UK was hit by adverse weather conditions leaving masses of damage and disruption to businesses in its passing.
Extreme weather such as storms can cause widespread adverse damage to properties and businesses, leaving many of our motor trade clients needing our help simultaneously.
If you’re a Footman James motor trade policy holder and have been affected, we know you’ll be keen to get back to business as usual as quickly as possible, so we’ve put together some guidance on:
The information below is in relation to our motor trade insurance policies only. If you have any further queries, please contact your Account Handler directly.
Report your claim as soon as possible to your insurer by contacting them directly or by submitting your claim on the NIG claims portal. Should you need any assistance you can contact us. It would be helpful to have your insurance documents to hand when you call, as your insurer will be able to get the details of your policy up quicker. Be sure to provide them with with a phone number that they can always reach you on to keep you updated about your claim.
Your insurer will advise you of the best course of action, depending on the severity of the damage to your property and belongings.
If needed you can carry out temporary repairs to prevent further damage, but don’t put yourself or anyone else at risk to do this. Make sure you keep any receipts or invoices for any work carried out but please don’t authorise any full repairs until you have been advised to do so by your insurer.
If there is water coming into the property, and it is safe to do so, move contents to upper floors or higher areas to prevent further damage. Once the storm/bad weather has passed, remove any covers on airbricks to enable any trapped water to escape and air to circulate.
Remember never to use the gas or electrical supply in a flooded property until a qualified person checks everything and tells you it is safe to do so.
When submitting your claim your insurer will likely ask for a list of damaged items and photos of the damage caused by the storm. Your safety should always be your main priority, stay away from areas with loose roof coverings or damaged walls. If it is safe to do, recover your belongings to prevent any further damage.
Due to the volume of claims your insurers will be dealing with, you may be asked to get a quote from a local tradesperson to repair the damage, to speed up the process. It is important you don’t authorise the work until you have explicit approval from your insurer to do so.
If you can’t get a repair quote, or if your property is not safe or secure, let your insurer know and they will advise you on the next best course of action.
You’ll need to let us, and your insurer know exactly what has happened and what damage has been caused to your property so we can help you make your claim.
Typical property damage following a storm or period of adverse weather may include:
We can assist you by helping you check your policy wording, as there are some things that your insurance policy won’t cover, for example damage to fences, hedges and gates.
Your motor trade policy is also unlikely to provide cover for damage which is longstanding or due to maintenance issues such as:
In events such as those we are currently experiencing where there is widespread damage to many properties, your insurer may suggest using a local tradesperson to offer a quote for repairs, as this is often the quickest way to get your property back to normal.
When choosing a tradesperson to get a quote, you should consider:
Any quotes you get will need to include a full breakdown of the works required and be supported by photos of the damage, if possible and safe to do so.
Once you have received a quote that you are happy with, contact your insurer as soon as possible to provide them with the quote details and photo evidence of the damage. This can be done by contacting the insurer directly or by submitting your claim on the online NIG claims portal.
As well as any damage to buildings, make sure you list any belongings that have been damaged by the storm inside or outside of your property, along with supporting photos. Don’t throw anything away as it may be needed for the claims process.
It can be difficult in such stressful situations to know whether the costs you are being quoted are fair. Of course, prices quoted will be higher or lower depending on where in the UK you are based, the type of property you have, and the extent of the damage caused.
Checkatrade have produced this guide into average damage costs, roof repair and ceiling water damage repair.
At Footman James we have teamed up with FloodFlash to provide our motor trade clients with a Flood Risk policy add-on. FloodFlash provides cover should the worst happen in the event of flooding,
This addon allows clients to set a pre-agreed sum of money if a flood reaches a certain depth, resulting in a pay-out should this unfortunately become a reality (often in just a few days).
If you're considering adding FloodFlash to your policy, get in touch with your account handler or click to request a call back from the Footman James motor trade team.