We hope that you are now over the shock of the flood. Helping clients after the Carlisle flood of 2005 taught us lessons, so this time we were ready and we are fully functional from our Carlisle office, though we do have local facilities for meeting.  Just call 01228 888999.The worst case we dealt with after the 2005 floods went like this:

Here are our suggestions to help you through a difficult process:

1. Check what you are actually insured for - read all your policies.
   
   
2. We say this especially for businesses: if you purchase insurance through an insurance broker, contact the broker as soon as possible and make the claim. A decent broker will guide you through the process and look out for YOU.
   
   
3. If you have no broker, then read the policy very carefully to make the claim as soon as possible in the way which is required.
   
   
4. You will probably have to deal with a call centre, and some golden rules are:-
   
   

   Remember the call is likely to be taped. Do not shout - the person you are talking to now is not to blame. Keep notes of who you call and when, because you will probably be calling a number of times. Get the name of the person at the outset. State your question or dilemma quickly and crisply. If hostility breaks out, better to get off the telephone and try again later or ask for a supervisor. Remember we live in a world of complicated systems and the person on the other end of the telephone is probably not out to make your life miserable.

   
   
5. Remember the policy sets out what you can claim for - for example whether an item is insured on a 'new for old' basis, or only an indemnity basis where you recover just what it is worth (likely to be way below the cost of replacement). One word, there are limits on what you can claim.
   
   
6. Remember that unless you are paying someone directly they are probably not working for you. For example a loss adjuster sent by the insurance company may seem helpful but they are there to look after the insurer who pays their fee. If the loss adjuster reduces your claim, you lose: the insurer gains. Do not agree anything until you are sure.
   
   
7. Be realistic - your insurance policies are unlikely to cover all you have lost.
   
   
8. If you find you are not insured against the loss of items you thought were covered then you may need legal advice to find out if you have a claim against the broker or elsewhere.
   
   
9. Remember an insurance contract is one of INDEMNITY. This means you have suffered the loss, it just so happens you have an insurance company which has agreed to repay that loss to you. This means you will have at least some control as to which tradesmen do the repair work - hopefully only once!
   
   
10. In Landlord & Tenant situations special care is needed to make sure nothing falls through the cracks between the Landlord's buildings policy and the Tenant's contents policy, especially if these are with different insurance companies.

OUR PLEDGE

The Bell Park Kerridge pledge to fellow flood victims:

You may have queries about your insurance claim.

You may have cash flow problems which need addressed.

You may have queries about whether a Tenant needs to pay rent when the premises are unusable.

We offer a free initial consultation for as long as it takes to all fellow flood victims. We will answer your questions such that you can proceed on your own, or identify what Bell Park Kerridge could do to bring or defend a claim arising out of the flood damage.