Malicious Damage: Professional claim assistance

Malicious Damage to household and commercial buildings, and their contents, by malicious persons.

Malicious or riot damage to both household and commercial buildings and their contents can be disturbing and destructive. Isolated incidents of malicious damage are common place and occur with or without motive. More widespread malicious and riot damage tends to be less frequent, but during the recent riots in London and throughout the UK billions of pounds worth of destruction occurred to buildings and their contents. Business owners suffered considerable losses during the riots in 2011 due to closure or interruption of their business and this resulted in a loss of turnover and loss of profits for many insurance claimants.

Typical malicious damage includes physical destruction in whole or in part to windows, doors, walls, partitions, roofs, decorations, ceilings, fixtures or the general defacing of houses, shops, factories, warehouses, offices or other domestic and commercial buildings. It is not uncommon for malicious persons, once having entered a building, to set fire to the premises and, or, steal property from within. This type of malicious and riot damage is normally covered by comprehensive house and business insurance policies.

For insurers to accept a claim or loss for malicious damage they will need to be satisfied that there was malicious intent, though in most instances there can be little dispute here. Premier Property Claims are experts in providing insurance claims help and claims management services and have extensive experience as to the types and nature of damage that insurers will accept as malicious or due to riot. When an insurance policyholder suffers damage to their property by malicious persons or by riot it is vital that the claim is correctly and professionally presented to avoid problems or misinterpretation by insurers who may seek to decline a claim as maintenance when in fact an insured peril has actually occurred. Premier Property Claims will ensure that their clients have the greatest likelihood of their claims being accepted.

Following malicious or riot damage Premier Property Claims can offer insurance claims advice, guidance and help and our claims management experience assists with the swift processing of any claim. Premier Property Claims Loss Assessors provide services and assistance with the arrangement of emergency repairs to make any damaged building safe and watertight and to ensure that mains services are safely terminated or resumed. Premier Property Claims Loss Assessors we assist all our clients by preparing a schedule of the loss and by negotiating settlement with insurers or their loss adjusters on your behalf. We will guide you, the policyholder, in obtaining appropriate replacement /repair estimates and valuations where necessary.

Your insurance company is likely to appoint a Loss Adjuster or claims handler to deal with your claim but this is to protect their own interests. These representatives operate under heavy workloads and your claim may not be given the focus it deserves. Adjusters and Insurance Claims Inspectors do not prepare your claim, they adjust the claim you submit. Other expenses may be recoverable of which you are unaware. If you prematurely agree a claim with insurers it may be too late for them to subsequently reconsider additional items.

Insurance policy wordings are complex and difficult for a policyholder to understand and an insurer or their representative have the advantage, and will often attempt to construe the policy wording in their favour. As your dedicated Public Loss Assessor, we understand policy wordings and have the knowledge and experience to redress the balance and ensure that your insurance claim is given the fullest and fairest consideration it deserves.

It is therefore essential that you are suitably (Who are FCA Regulated) represented by your own professional Loss Assessor as soon as possible after damage is discovered to ensure the claim is properly and accurately presented and you receive the maximum benefit under the policy