Home insurance claim, need loss assessor?

DrPhilG

Had a home heating oil leak, cracked tank. Spilled about 150L down the back of my garage and into the neighbour's garden.

Contacted insurance (Zurich) and they assigned an adjustor firm, and I contacted a remediation company (agreed with the adjustor).

Report has now come back from the remediation company, although it's a bit vague on what's actually needed (just dump affected soil, or any building work needed on the garage). However they did suggest that I employ a loss assessor.

Called the one they recommend and whilst they said that any costs related to the remediation and paid by the remediation company, but if any building work is needed I'd have to pay them 10%.

I'm not sure I see the sense in taking them on. If the garage did need major building work (I don't think it does) then I'd be running into a few grand of a fee for something that I'd imagine the insurance company would be paying anyway.

Thoughts?

Eggs For Dinner

For a complex claim (the damage leaked oil does can be significant) appointing your own loss assessor might be a wise thing to do. Like all professional services, it comes at a cost. All depends if you know what you're doing ang you're happy that you've identified all the damage caused. Your claim payment will be "in full and final settlement"

DrPhilG

I just worry that since the assessor is being paid by the remediation company who then presumably recover that cost from my insurer, they have a vested interest in suggesting that I employ one. And if they are no longer unbiased (as they have a relationship with the assessor) then how do I know they won't push for construction work over and above what is required?

DrPhilG

On the flip side, maybe the insurance company would be inclined to try and downplay and foundation issues to avoid the extra cost. Whereas the assessor would obviously try to bump it up to increase his %.

So if construction work totalled 4 or 5 grand, it would be worth paying the assessor 4-500 to make sure its done right.

Maybe he could get them to tear the whole thing down and rebuild lol.

Eggs For Dinner

Firstly, the insurer is obliged to advise you that you are entitled to get your own assessor, it's standard practice. Secondly, their assessors job is to verify that the estimates you provide are justified. It's not his/her place to point out things you haven't spotted, though many will.

Again, if you know what you're at, you can go without one

DrPhilG

Eggs For Dinner wrote: »

Firstly, the insurer is obliged to advise you that you are entitled to get your own assessor

They haven't!

At least not clearly. Maybe it's buried in the Ts & Cs somewhere.

Eggs For Dinner

DrPhilG wrote: »

They haven't!

At least not clearly. Maybe it's buried in the Ts & Cs somewhere.

It will be in the correspondence they send you acknowledging the claim, usually along with a request for a claim form

DrPhilG

Eggs For Dinner wrote: »

It will be in the correspondence they send you acknowledging the claim, usually along with a request for a claim form

Correct, my bad. It was in the initial email.