Mother 77 house fire help

CoffeeWinnie · 2023-07-15T13:57:53+00:00

Hi all i’m new here. My mum had a house fire on Tuesday. This was the same day that she had her mastectomy. her house will need to be rebuilt and she does have insurance we are so stressed and I’m devastated. Seeing the place has been awful i wanted to know whether anyone else has been through this? we are with LV and a loss adjuster (Sedgwick) will be assessing the damage on Wednesday. a loss assessor turned up after the brigade left on Wednesday, just like an ambulance chaser. that said I do think we will need a loss assessor. can anyone share their experience if they’ve been through this? can anyone recommend a loss assessor? I’ve seen a few with positive ratings but am always dubious as I think they’re fake! thanks in advance

needasleep · 15/07/2023 15:12

I work for a loss adjusting company and worked in insurance for years. You do not need a loss assessor and most of them are not working in your interest and can take a share of your claim. Sedgwick are working on your behalf and will guide you through the claim. If u decide to use a loss assessor please check reviews as a lot of them are cowboys also claims with a loss assessor involved can take longer to be settled. Happy to help or answer any questions you have. I hope your mum is doing OK.

Original poster

CoffeeWinnie · 15/07/2023 15:20

Thank you need a sleep (great name as that’s exactly how I feel).

I must admit I’m really confused about the loss assessor role, as I find people either think they’re beneficial or not at all. The reason I was leaning towards one was because of what I read on the Money Saving Expert website, and I also looked up Sedgwick who have terrible reviews.

I will definitely check reviews, it’s just so many are fake these days!

As you’ve worked in insurance, do you happen to know what the process is, from now until the house is being rebuilt? I ask because I have no idea what’s going to happen, and have also read that LV can issue an emergency payment initially, for clothes etc.

Thanks for your well wishes, my mum isn’t doing well especially as this happened on the day after her surgery x

OP posts:

CampsiteQueen · 15/07/2023 15:46

Hello OP, I'm very sorry to hear what's happened to your mum. A family member experienced something similar, although not in the UK (but in a country with a similar insurance system). They were advised by friends who had also had a fire to use an independent loss adjustor, which they did.

In the early days post-fire, I think they found the loss adjustor's presence helpful for things such as emergency electricity disconnection, advice re securing the property and guidance through the claim process. They found the process of quantifying/costing all of their destroyed belongings daunting. Again I think they felt the LA helped there and also helped them identify a main contractor to progress structural works and other contractors e.g. cleaning experts, skip hire, plumbers, structural engineer, electricians, heating engineers.

The whole process was stressful and a LOT of work. It took the best part of a year (the property did not need to be fully rebuilt - I don't know if this would speed up/slow down matters). I think their insurance policy allowed for some monies towards alternative accommodation, but would not have fully covered local rent and there was nothing suitable to rent locally in any event.

I really do feel for both you and your poor mum. It's a horrible thing to have happen.

MNHQ

KimMumsnet · 15/07/2023 16:12

Hi there, OP. We've moved your thread from the AMA forum to Chat now, as AMA wasn't quite the right place for it. Hope you get some useful advice here.

TheCraicDealer · 15/07/2023 17:03

Sorry this happened to your poor mum, it sounds like a really stressful time for her (and you). I started my insurance career in a loss assessors. My boss would have often told clients that yes, there’s a fee for his services, but that this will normally be more than covered by the more advantageous settlement which he would obviously obtain on your behalf- quite how he quantified this I never found out, but he likely was right in most cases. I would say for someone in your Mum’s position it probably is a good idea. At least she’ll have a single point of contact and someone who should take the time to explain issues or technical points to her, which (with all the best will in the world) the guys in Sedgwick just don’t always have time to do. If you do go for an assessor try to go with a personal recommendation or at least check they’re FCA authorised. PP’s are right in that there are some shady ones out there. Personally I wouldn’t go with the one that turned up completely unsolicited.

I now work in one of Sedgwick’s competitors, albeit not in property claims. Get your mum to have a page for each room in the house and start listing stuff that’s gone/damaged. She will keep remembering items so this way she can continuously add things as they occur to her. Remember as well that if she has cover for alternative accomodation then she should be allowed an allowance even if she’s staying with family initially, this is usually calculated at a daily rate. This (and other things like increased utility costs if applicable, securing the site etc) is the kind of thing that will occur to a loss assessor straight off the bat. The adjusters may also wait to receive a fire report to confirm the cause of the fire before going past the initial first aid stage, and that can be a frustrating wait when you just want to get the ball rolling with getting the house back in order.

I know it sounds like I’m singing the praises of assessors here but it’s very specific to each set of circumstances and dependant on getting a decent one. If your mum had a partner she could share the load and practicalities with, wasn’t going through a period of ill health and/or this wasn’t such a significant loss then I’d be more inclined to suggest she’d be more than able to handle it herself. Good luck to both of you, wishing you both brighter days ahead 💐

needasleep · 15/07/2023 17:46

Sedgwick need to confirm cause of the fire before they can confirm that the policy is in force this is normal and please don't worry. Once they confirm cover they can arrange an emergency payment for clothes etc. They will appoint a restoration company to document/list all the items. They will also arrange accommodation for your mum or if she lives with you will give her an allowance.

Gillbil · 25/07/2023 15:10

TheCraicDealer · 15/07/2023 17:03

Sorry this happened to your poor mum, it sounds like a really stressful time for her (and you). I started my insurance career in a loss assessors. My boss would have often told clients that yes, there’s a fee for his services, but that this will normally be more than covered by the more advantageous settlement which he would obviously obtain on your behalf- quite how he quantified this I never found out, but he likely was right in most cases. I would say for someone in your Mum’s position it probably is a good idea. At least she’ll have a single point of contact and someone who should take the time to explain issues or technical points to her, which (with all the best will in the world) the guys in Sedgwick just don’t always have time to do. If you do go for an assessor try to go with a personal recommendation or at least check they’re FCA authorised. PP’s are right in that there are some shady ones out there. Personally I wouldn’t go with the one that turned up completely unsolicited.

I now work in one of Sedgwick’s competitors, albeit not in property claims. Get your mum to have a page for each room in the house and start listing stuff that’s gone/damaged. She will keep remembering items so this way she can continuously add things as they occur to her. Remember as well that if she has cover for alternative accomodation then she should be allowed an allowance even if she’s staying with family initially, this is usually calculated at a daily rate. This (and other things like increased utility costs if applicable, securing the site etc) is the kind of thing that will occur to a loss assessor straight off the bat. The adjusters may also wait to receive a fire report to confirm the cause of the fire before going past the initial first aid stage, and that can be a frustrating wait when you just want to get the ball rolling with getting the house back in order.

I know it sounds like I’m singing the praises of assessors here but it’s very specific to each set of circumstances and dependant on getting a decent one. If your mum had a partner she could share the load and practicalities with, wasn’t going through a period of ill health and/or this wasn’t such a significant loss then I’d be more inclined to suggest she’d be more than able to handle it herself. Good luck to both of you, wishing you both brighter days ahead 💐

Excellent advise.

Sorry you're dealing with this, I definitely think you get one, the reviews for Sedgwick are horrible on Google.

I would say research and review the loss accessors
Sending hugs