Claims preparation
The first 72 hours after a major loss.
A fire, flood or major breakdown is chaotic, and the natural instinct — clean up, get trading again — can quietly weaken the claim you are about to make. Here is what protects it in the first three days, and the well-meaning mistakes to avoid.
Do these first
- Make people and the site safe. Nothing here comes before that. Only then think about the claim.
- Tell your insurer or broker promptly. Most policies require notification "as soon as reasonably practicable." A short written note with the date, time and nature of the loss starts the clock properly.
- Photograph and film everything before you move it. Wide shots and close-ups, from several angles, with a date. This is the evidence that is impossible to recreate once the clean-up starts.
- Keep the damaged items. Don't throw anything away until it has been recorded and the insurer has had the chance to inspect — discarded evidence is disputed evidence.
- Start a cost diary from day one. Overtime, hired equipment, temporary premises, extra transport, staff standing idle — write it down as it happens. Memories fade; a contemporaneous record does not.
- Keep every receipt. Emergency repairs, security, drying, disposal — these are usually recoverable, but only if you can show them.
Be careful with these
- Don't rush permanent repairs. Make the site safe and prevent further damage, yes — but a full rebuild before the loss is documented can wipe out the evidence for it.
- Don't accept the first figure as "the number." An adjuster's initial position is an opening position, not a verdict — especially on business interruption.
- Don't guess at the business-interruption loss. It is rarely just "lost sales." Getting the indemnity period and the standing costs right is where most value is won or lost.
- Don't sign a full-and-final settlement under time pressure without understanding what you are giving up. Once signed, it is very hard to reopen.
If it has already gone wrong
Already had a loss and unsure it's being handled properly?
Send us the claim. The first look is free and confidential, and we will tell you plainly where it stands.