Client

Miller successfully settled a claim for a national power generation company at a hydro-electrical plant.

Background to the claim

The claim was due to a powerful jet of water escaping from a valve, causing damage to a roof crane and two generators.

Within 48 hours of the incident, an adjuster had attended the site and introduced an expert in restoration to assist the insured in mitigating the extent of the loss following the water damage. However, the insured chose not to utilise their services despite the recommendation. Subsequently, the insured submitted a claim which was higher than that recommended by the adjuster. The adjuster came to the conclusion that if the expert assistance had been retained to assist with professional restoration of the affected items, then the scope of the damage would not have increased.

Miller’s role in the process

Miller initiated a meeting between the insured and the adjuster with the aim of coming to some form of satisfactory settlement. Despite some challenges including limited information and documentation requested by the adjuster, Miller managed to engage with and ultimately persuade the adjuster to recommend the claim payment based on the replacement cost/actual value with deduction for wear, tear and depreciation.

Outcome

The claim was successfully settled and has since been paid in full to the insured. The lead and follow underwriters did agree with the approach instigated by Miller, who demonstrated its strong negotiation skills as well as patience and diplomacy in acting as intermediary between all parties. The feedback from the insured was that the outcome and Miller’s claims service had exceeded their expectations, especially in comparison to their previous provider.