Insurance Disputes Advice for Policyholders
Rejected insurance claims can be highly damaging to a business or individual, with the potential to leave policyholders thousands or even millions of pounds out of pocket. In the most serious cases, this can lead to the failure of a business or serious financial difficulties.
If you have had a substantial claim turned down by your insurers, it is always sensible to seek specialist legal advice. This can help determine whether the rejection was justified by the terms of your policy or whether you have grounds to challenge your insurers’ decision.
In many cases, a time-consuming and costly legal dispute can be avoided with early intervention and a sensible, pragmatic approach from a specialist insurance solicitor.
At IBB Law, we regularly advise policyholders on insurance disputes, including in relation to:
• Professional Indemnity insurance
• Public Liability insurance
• Construction & Engineering insurance
• Structural Damage / Structural Warranty insurance
• Directors & Officers Liability insurance
• Corporate liability insurance
Our team generally advises on disputed claims worth in excess of £50,000 up to and including multi-million pound claims. Our typical clients include businesses and professionals within the construction, property and financial services sectors.
Our insurance disputes solicitors can guide you through every stage of dealing with a rejected insurance claim, including:
• Reviewing the terms of an insurance policy – offering our opinion on whether your claim should have been covered under the terms of your policy.
• Challenging the rejection of your claim with your insurers – contacting your insurers to explain why we believe your claim should have been covered and guiding you through your insurers’ internal complaints process.
• Referring your dispute to the Financial Ombudsman Service – advising on whether this is appropriate for your situation, preparing your complaint to the Ombudsman, dealing with any correspondence required and advising on whether to accept the Ombudsman’s decision.
• Taking an insurance dispute to Court – advising you on whether Court proceedings are likely to achieve a positive outcome cost-effectively and representing you during Court proceedings.
Whatever approach is required, we will provide realistic advice on the likely legal costs involved, making sure those costs remain proportionate to the claim’s value.
For expert advice on challenging a rejected insurance claim, please call 03456 381381 or email chris.thompson@ibblaw.co.uk for immediate assistance.
Our expertise in advising policyholders on insurance disputes
Senior Solicitor Chris Thompson is highly experienced advising policyholders on insurance disputes, with a background of having previously worked for a specialist insurance litigation practice in the City of London. Chris offers clear guidance on the terms of insurance policies and the various options for resolving any dispute in a way that reflects our clients’ priorities and concerns.
Chris works in our Construction & Engineering team which sits within IBB’s renowned Real Estate Group, so is particularly well-placed to provide insurance advice to businesses and professionals within the construction and real estate sectors. We also frequently advise professional and business insurance policyholders across a range of other sectors, including in relation to professional indemnity insurance and corporate liability insurance.
As well as acting for policyholders, Chris has also advised a number of major insurers in relation to their policies and disputed insurance claims, including Lloyd’s Syndicate insurers. As such, we are able to offer a valuable insight for policyholders into insurers’ perspectives on these matters.
Our insurance dispute resolution fees
When dealing with an insurance dispute, it is essential to keep the costs involved proportionate to the value of the outcome you wish to secure.
We will be happy to discuss your situation and provide a realistic indication of the likely costs involved. This will include agreeing our hourly rates, which will be dependent on the level of expertise needed to deal effectively with your requirements.
To find out more about our fees, please get in touch.
An example of how our insurance solicitors have assisted our clients with rejected insurance claims
Securing payment of a six-figure rejected structural warranty claim
- Our client is a freehold property owner who had tried and failed to obtain an indemnity from their structural warranty insurance providers for the costs of significant structural works at a new-build property. Previous solicitors had informed our client that there was little prospect of successfully challenging the insurers’ decision to decline the claim.
- IBB Law was instructed to investigate and advise on whether there were grounds to challenge the insurers’ decision. Our team reviewed the policy documents and, with the assistance of independent expert advice from structural surveyors, we took up the dispute with the insurers’ representatives under the insurers formal complaints procedure.
- Following our intervention, the insurers reversed their decision and agreed to cover our client’s structural claim. IBB Law’s work resulted in our client securing a very significant pay out to cover the cost of the structural works to their property.
Speak to our insurance disputes solicitors
If you are a policyholder looking for expert advice on an insurance dispute, our specialist team are here to help.
Please call 03456 381381 or email chris.thompson@ibblaw.co.uk for immediate assistance.
