Review your client portfolio to see if you have any in the worst hit locations: Lostwithiel (PL22 post code), St Blazey (PL24 post code) and St. Austell (PL25 post code). Check their policies so you are familiar with what will and won’t be covered for flood damage and whether they need different insurer contacts if they have separate buildings and contents cover.
Make contact with any you identify to see if they have been affected. If they have, ensure they have their insurance policy documents and relevant contact numbers – and if they don’t, pass on and arrange to get fresh policy documents to them.
Offer to guide them through the claims process and give them some key areas to cover off with their insurer – for example, asking how long it will take the loss adjuster to come and survey the damage. Advise them to make an accurate record of the flood damage – for example, using a permanent ink pen to market the highest level that the flood water reached and drawing up a list that describes the damage in detail, taking as many photos or video footage as possible.
Tell them not to throw anything away (except food that has gone off) until the insurance company tells them that they can. And if they haven’t been affected, make sure you know when their policy is up for renewal and offer to get in touch with them several weeks before to give yourself enough time to source the options available to them
Sales and marketing director Kevin Paterson says:
“We’ve been in touch with our buildings and contents providers, who have confirmed that they have put additional field agents on standby in the affected areas to provide prompt assistance to those whose homes have been damaged by the floodwaters.
"Any intermediaries concerned about the level of cover that they have sourced through us for their clients in the area are welcome to contact us at any time for help and guidance.”
“These harrowing events sadly prove the very real need for insurance and given the increasing incidents of flooding, I’m afraid that more areas of the country will suffer as we go through the winter months. It’s at moments like these that the industry can come into its own and I believe that intermediaries can provide a valuable link between those who have been affected and their insurers.”
