As soon as you know that you will be unable to work for more the excess period under your policy consult your policy and contact the claims department of your insurer. They will initiate the claims process.

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This varies from insurer to insurer, but in general terms it is to contact your insurers who will send a claim form for completion. When returning this, insurers may ask for a doctors certificate stating the reason you are unable to work and from here they may require further proofs before authorising your claim. Each case is treated on its own merits though.

 

Again this varies on a policy by policy basis. Some policies will pay out for 12 months, some for 24 months. If you consult your policy schedule this should tell you or it will be written in the policy booklet itself.

This will vary by insurer but for a claim due to accident or illness this will usually be a claim form signed by your doctor and possibly a doctors certificate. After this other proofs of continuing need to claim may be required. For claims for unemployment your insurers will advise you what is required when you telephone through to register your claim.

Your policy document will describe the process of making a complaint. 1 Stop Insurance supports its clients in all matters and we are more than happy to offer advice and assistance in making a complaint. We are happy to take complaints to the highest level on your behalf. Our aim is client delight.

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You should have kept your policy document in the glove compartment of your vehicle as instructed when we sent it out to you. Within that document it will list your policy number and the claims number you will require. Ring the claims number and the operator will take details of your location and arrange for assistance to be sent to you.

The average time last year was only apparently 38 minutes. Please, however bear in mind that this does depend on your location and the time at which you breakdown. If you feel you need special treatment then advise the operator of your particular circumstances and they will, if possible, place a higher priority on your call.

If it is during our normal office hours then telephone us. We can obtain a copy of your policy if we do not already have one on file and will then provide you with the relevant numbers for you to make contact with the breakdown providers. If outside our office hours then there is nothing we can do. If you contact other breakdown recovery contractors you will not unfortunately be able to claim the cost of that from your insurance through us.

Any insurance policy will have exclusions and conditions to cover. We urge all our clients to read the key facts documents provided before purchase and policy documents provided after purchase. These list all the terms and conditions of cover and once you receive the policy document you have 14 days "cooling off" in which to change your mind if you so wish.

The cost of roadside repairs is met by the recovery company although the cost of any spares provided to get you moving again are down to you the policyholder. If your cover includes recovery to a local garage then once at this garage the cost of repairs is down to you the policyholder.

Your policy document will state the method of raising a complaint. If, however you need assistance with this then please do not hesitate to contact us since we are more than happy to assist you wherever possible. 

If it is during our office hours we would suggest you let us know since we may be able to offer additional information and assistance before you contact the insurer. These days insurers rarely keep us informed of the progress of claims. We rely on our clients to therefore give us feedback when matters do not meet their expectations. We can then step in and troubleshoot the claim to ensure the swiftest possible resolution.

"How long is a piece of string". Some claims are more involved than others. The fastest claim 1 Stop ever handled was settled in 3 hours!  Most d, however, take longer than this. All we suggest is that you swiftly report the matter to the insurer and then get on with organising any other documentation they require. We can assist as much as you require and are happy to do so, but we cannot force claims through if basic documentation is not forthcoming from you.

If neither the insurers nor 1 Stop are available to assist you then insurers would generally suggest that remedial work be carried out to stop damage worsening or to make a property secure.

The insurers would agree to "reasonable" costs if the claim was covered by your policy and the claim is a valid one. However, it is your duty to minimise costs and only to carry out essential urgent repairs without authorisation and always accepting that until any claim is authorised the insurers are not required to meet the costs incurred.

Any policy booklet will list the complaint procedure and 1 Stop are happy to assist you with raising any concerns with negligent insurers. Please talk to us sooner rather than later since we can often help resolve matters swiftly and easily by a word in the right ear.

Most insurers will require a written claim form. Please consult your policy document since some will have telephone claims reporting lines.  If you contact us we can advise you of the insurers precise requirements and lead you through the steps to resolving your claim as swiftly as possible.

The original quotation and confirmation letter will confirm this as will your policy schedule and or your policy booklet. If in doubt then merely contact us and we can confirm this for you.

This varies depending on the insurer and the type of claim. Generally insurer will either want estimate for repair or replacement of the damaged item or items or the cost of works.

Each claim is treated individually. If you report the claim swiftly and provide all estimates of document as soon as they are required then this will speed matters through. If, at any stage you feel matters are not moving as quickly as they should then please involve us since we are more than happy to take proactive action to ensure you are happy at the speed of settlement provided by insurers.

Contact us, since we are more than happy to look into the matter on your behalf. If any insurer has fallen short of the expected standard we will assist you in making a formal complaint. No matter how far this needs to be taken to resolve the matter to your satisfaction we are willing to help.

5.Motor
1.How do I know what excesses apply to my policy?
2.If I am not comprehensively covered what do I do about a non fault accident?
3.What is legal protection cover?
4.Can I take out Legal Protection after the event?
5.Why do I have to pay the excess to the repairing garage?
6.What are other “uninsured losses” I might be able to reclaim?
7.How long will it take to reclaim my uninsured losses? 

11.What if I am not happy with the valuation? 

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Your policy schedule will list these in detail as will our original quotation to you. If in any doubt then please contact us.

Provided you have taken our Legal Protection Cover then the legal protection company will look after the process of reclaiming the "uninsured costs" from the negligent third party. If you did not take out our legal protection cover then it may be possible to purchase the cover "after the event" but the cost will be higher than if you had taken the cover when you purchased or renewed your cover. However, if the chances of recover of any uninsured losses are slight then the legal protection cover may refuse to pursue the matter.

Legal Protection is a small optional cover we offer with all motor policies. For a one off up front fee the insurers backing our scheme will provide up to £50,000 to pay legal expenses to seek to recover "uninsured losses" from a negligent third party. If you have a non fault accident it can mean the difference between recovering your hard earned NCB or not. If you have an excess on your policy or suffer personal injury as result of an accident your motor insurance policy will not pay you for this. Legal Protection cover will put a solicitor on your side to seek to recover money for these and other losses- with no further fees to pay. Unlike some "no win no fee" schemes you will see available you do not have to purchase a 2nd insurance to cover the solicitors fees and all money recovered is passed to you.

It is possible but the legal protection company can refuse to accept your case and the cost will be around £30.00 instead of the current £15.00.

This is called an "uninsured loss". It is not covered by your insurance policy. If the accident was not your fault and the third party is traceable then you may be able to recover this money from their insurers. If you have taken our Legal Protection cover the specialist company will look after all these arrangements for you.

This includes your policy excess, loss of earnings, personal injury and vehicle damage if you hold a TPFT or TPO policy, storage charges and many more. Our advisors will be able to confirm any uninsured losses for you. Due to these costs not being covered by your insurance company, they are only recoverable if you are involved in an accident that is the responsibility of another party.

7.How long will it take to reclaim my uninsured losses?
As all uninsured losses are reclaimed from the other party’s insurers we are unable to specify a timescale. There may be a liability dispute or the other party may have not completed a claim form. All of these are factors that could contribute to a time delay. However on all occasions we will endeavour to reclaim your losses as quickly as possible. If you have taken Legal Protection then our providers may be able to give you some sort of timescale. If you haven’t taken the Legal cover then you have to reclaim this money yourself.

8.How do I get repairs to my vehicle completed?
If you hold a comprehensive policy your insurance company will arrange for your vehicle to be taken to one of their approved garages where the repairs will be undertaken. This is the quickest option as no estimate is required and most garages have authority to commence work immediately. If you would prefer to take your vehicle to a garage of your choice you must obtain 2 estimates and submit them to your insurers. Your insurers will then send an engineer to inspect your vehicle and authorise the repairs. If you hold a TPFT or TPO policy and have been involved in a non-fault accident you will need to arrange 2 estimates and submit them to the company pursuing your uninsured losses. They will then forward your claim to the responsible party. If you are claiming for a theft please follow the procedure regarding comprehensive repairs.

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With most if not all schemes a courtesy car will be provided, subject to availability. However, if your car is "written off" then the insurers are within their rights to recover this courtesy car. Please note the vehicle will be a basic model small car.

10.What happens if my vehicle is a write off?

Once an independent assessor, instructed by your insurer, has inspected your vehicle and confirmed it is not repairable, he will submit the report to your insurers confirming this. You will then be asked to submit all vehicle documents relating to the car (Listed below) this will assist your insurers to value the vehicle. Upon receipt of the documents and the engineers report the valuation should take approximately 7-10 days subject to any queries they may have. You will then be required to accept the offer in writing upon which your insurers will issue the cheque.

11.What if I am not happy with the valuation?
The valuation on your vehicle is determined from market value and the documentation you have submitted. For example if you have a vehicle you feel is in A1 condition you must have a full service history to support this. Without this the valuation will decrease. To assess the value of your vehicle we advise you to obtain cuttings from local magazines, showing vehicles the same as yours selling for more. The vehicle must be the same make, model year and a similar mileage. Cuttings of a vehicle with a lower mileage than yours will be clearly worth more; the same applies to a new model vehicle. This type of information will not be sufficient.

The answer is usually no.

In the first place complain to the garage when you collect the car, refusing to sign off for the vehicle until the repairs are acceptable. If this does not result in satisfaction then contact us and we will speak to the insurers claims department.

All repairs usually carry a period of guarantee of workmanship and if you later discover a problem with the work that had been undertaken then contact us and we will speak too your insurers about getting the matter put right.

 

Not long. The insurers will require their claim form, proofs of losses or costs and then may need to talk to the airline, travel company or overseas hospital.

Your policy will detail the claims process but we generally suggest you involve us sooner rather than later since we may often be able to have a word in the right ear and resolve matters before they get to the stage of a formal complaint.

Your insurance policy will list the process but in general terms insurers ask for telephone reporting initially and then a formal claim form follows for your completion. Evidence to support the loss will be required and a loss adjuster may be appointed.