Claims

Claims Management and Claims Procedures

It is important to understand that as your Brokers, Honans acts as your Insurance Consultants and Advisers.

We are independent of Insurers and have no power to authorise claims settlements. However, by taking full advantage of due expertise in the insurance market and and knowledge of the policies in particular, the involvement of Honans in any claim, other than the most straightforward, will be helpful to you.

Any loss or accident of a serious or major nature should be reported immediately to Honan Insurance Brokers with copies of documentation to be forwarded later. 

General
The guidelines which follow are appropriate in most situations however they may vary in special circumstances. If you are in any doubt as to the correct claims reporting procedure please telephone your servicing Broker.

Completion of Claims Froms
When completing claim forms, there are two important procedures to follow:

1. Complete all forms as soon as possible after the occurrence whilst the memory of the event is still fresh in the minds of all concerned.

2. Ensure that the forms contain full and accurate data so that the Insurers are provided with enough information at the outset to enable them to take the most appropriate course of action in your best interests.

Property Claims Checklist
Here is a list of steps to take in the event of loss:

  • Notify Honans, giving the date, time, cause and location of the loss.
  • Mobilise your emergency response organisation.
  • Protect your property from further damage.
  • Burglary Losses are to notify the police immediately
  • Fix leaking pipes.
  • Restore fire protection.
  • Temporarily support collapsed or impaired structures.
  • Board up the premises and correct unsafe conditions, if applicable.
  • Isolate the damaged area whenever possible.
  • Separate damaged from undamaged property.
  • Restore power to critical areas such as freezers.
  • Establish a loss control account to detail all expenses incurred as a result of the loss.
  • Retain all invoices, time sheets, etc., to ensure all costs are captured and attributable to the loss, and to prevent an overlapping of normal costs with these expenditures.
  • Obtain identification of all civil authorities involved such as fire, police, health department, building inspector, etc.
  • Retain any piece of equipment or other property that may be the cause of the loss. This should be tagged and identified as to its function and the time and date of the incident in order to establish a chain of custody.
  • Take photographs, if possible, prior to the removal of any debris.


Professional Indemnity and Public & Products Liability
No matter how minor, any claim or intimation of claim by a third party in respect of actual or alleged wrongful acts, property damage or personal injury, or circumstances occurring which might lead to such, should be reported immediately to Honans who will advise on the appropriate course of action.

Any third party correspondence or writ should be faxed unanswered on the day of receipt to the broker. No admission of liability should ever be made to a third party without Insurers' written consent.

Workers Compensation
Immediately an accident is reported, and before making any compensation payments to an employee, the following documents should be forwarded direct to the Insurers and accepted by them as a valid claim:

a. Claim Form  - completed in full and signed.
b. Medical Certificate  - completed and signed by an authorised medical practitioner.

It is important that your liability to pay compensation and the Insurance Company's acceptance of the claim be established before any payment is made.

It should be impressed on your staff that all injuries (whether resulting in a claim or not) must be reported immediately and, by law, entered into an Accident Book.

In the event of a serious injury occurring please notify Insurers immediately by telephone, so that they may instruct their Assessors to inquire into the circumstances of the accident.

Remember, the sooner Insurers are informed of a claim and the more information they are given about the claim, the easier it is to process. If you are ever in any doubt about a particular aspect please do not hesitate to contact the Insurers by telephone for clarification.

Other Claims
All other claims or losses should be reported immediately to Honans who will advise on the procedures to be followed.

Whilst the foregoing is for general guidance, some claims may have their own peculiarities, which will dictate a departure from the claims procedures as described.

In these circumstances please contact the Servicing Broker to discuss and resolve any problems.

It is important this be adhered to in order to avoid any difficulties with claim settlements.

Claims Preparedness Checklist
Here is a checklist that can be used to help you determine your loss preparedness:

  • Analyse your loss potential, identifying critical equipment, facilities and processes.

  • Review your company's loss history. What did you learn that could help to prepare you for future losses?

  • Establish emergency response procedures to ensure immediate communication with appropriate authorities (fire service, police, etc.).

  • Maintain updated emergency procedures and make them available to those who need to know them.

  • Maintain a list of all individuals inside the company to call in the event of loss.

  • Determine procedures to report a loss, as well as loss handling and claims submission.

  • Maintain a procedure to collect appropriate records and duplicates of vital information necessary to support a potential claim.

Online Claims
Coming Soon...