Something happened. Call us first.
You do not have to work out what to say to an insurer. Call your branch and we make the claim for you, that is what having a broker is for. One person handles it from the first call to the last payment.
Call the branch nearest you.
If it is safe to do so, make the property safe first, stop the water, secure the building, get everyone away from danger. Then call us. If you have already called emergency services, tell us that too.
Outside opening hours, calls route to a branch that is still open. The lights at the top of this page show who is open now.
Should I call my insurer or my broker?
Call your broker first. We make the claim on your behalf, in the language the insurer expects, with the details they need. Only contact the insurer directly if you cannot reach our office, and then tell us as soon as you can, so we can pick it up from there.
There is a practical reason for this. How a claim is first reported affects how quickly it moves and how clearly it is understood. That first conversation is a skill, and it is one you pay us for.
The whole process, start to finish.
You call us and tell us what happened
Plain words are fine. You do not need policy numbers, dates or the right terminology. We will find your file.
We report the claim to the insurer
We submit it on your behalf with the information the insurer needs, so it starts properly rather than starting twice.
An adjuster is assigned
The insurer appoints an adjuster to look at the loss. They may want photos, documents, or to visit. We tell you what to expect before they contact you.
We stay in the middle
Questions, delays, wording disputes, anything that stalls, that is our job, not yours. If something does not look right, we push.
Settlement and repair
Payment, repair or replacement follows the policy terms. We explain what is being paid and why, in plain English, before you agree to anything.
We look at what it means for your renewal
A claim can change your options at renewal. We plan for that ahead of time instead of discovering it the week your policy expires.
What helps, and what hurts.
Do this
- Make people safe first. Everything else can wait.
- Stop the damage getting worse if it is safe to, shut off water, board up, cover the roof.
- Take photos and a short video before anything is moved or cleaned.
- Keep damaged items until the adjuster has seen them.
- Keep receipts for emergency repairs and anything you have to buy.
- Write down what happened while it is fresh, including times.
- Call us, even if you are not sure it is a claim. Asking costs nothing.
Avoid this
- Do not throw damaged property away before it has been seen.
- Do not start permanent repairs before the insurer has looked, emergency ones are fine.
- Do not admit fault or agree who is to blame at the scene.
- Do not sign anything from a repair or restoration company without asking us first.
- Do not guess at figures. An estimate you invent under pressure can follow the file for months.
- Do not wait to see if it gets better. Late reporting causes more problems than early reporting.
What to expect for your kind of loss.
Home and property
Water, fire, storm, theft. Stop the damage spreading, photograph everything, keep the damaged items, and call us before you arrange repairs.
Vehicle
Exchange information at the scene, but do not agree who was at fault. If anyone is hurt or the vehicle cannot be driven, deal with that first, then call us.
Business interruption
Start recording lost income and extra costs immediately, from the first day. This is the part of a business claim people under-document, and it is often the largest part.
Liability, someone is claiming against you
Do not respond, do not apologise in writing, do not agree to anything. Send us the letter or the claim the moment it arrives.
Professional liability
Even a hint of a claim (a complaint, a letter, a difficult phone call about your work) should be reported. Waiting can affect coverage.
Marine and cargo
Marine and cargo claims always come through our office. Keep all shipping and survey documents, and tell us straight away.
The claim is the moment insurance is real.
Everything before it (the quote, the wording, the price) is preparation for one phone call you hope never to make. This is the part of the job we take most seriously.
One person, start to finish
You are not passed around. The same broker knows your file from the first call to the last payment.
We do the talking
Reporting, chasing, translating the wording, that work belongs to us, not to you.
Plain English, always
You will be told what is happening and what it means, without jargon and without being managed.
What people ask when something has happened.
Will making a claim put my premium up?
It can, depending on the claim, your history and the insurer. But not claiming when you should have carries its own risks, an unrepaired loss can grow, and undisclosed damage causes problems later. Call us and we will talk it through honestly, including when it may be better not to claim.
What if I am not sure whether it is covered?
Call anyway. Working out whether something is covered is our job, not a test you have to pass first. Asking costs you nothing.
How long does a claim take?
It depends entirely on the type and size of the loss, a simple claim can move quickly, while a large property or liability claim takes longer. We will tell you what to expect for your claim rather than give you a number that fits nobody.
Can I use my own contractor?
Often, yes. Ask us before you commit to anyone, because how the repair is arranged can affect what the insurer pays.
What if I disagree with the settlement?
Tell us. That is exactly when a broker matters. We review the offer against your policy wording and go back to the insurer where there is a case to make.
What if it happens after hours?
Call your branch anyway, calls route to a branch that is still open. For an emergency, make things safe first and call us as soon as you can.
Is this how your last claim went?
If you were handed a phone number and left to explain the loss yourself, that is not how it should work. Bring us your renewal when it comes up. We will tell you honestly whether we can do better.
ALREADY OUR CLIENT AND SOMETHING HAS HAPPENED? CALL YOUR BRANCH, THE NUMBERS ARE AT THE TOP OF THIS PAGE.
Renewing plates or transferring a vehicle? Car & ICBC is counter work at any branch, usually while you wait.
Architect, engineer or design consultant? See Architects & engineers, no discipline excluded.