Let's start by setting out the roles, because orderly claims handling depends on it: a routine claim runs fastest on the insurer's own channel – claims line, online claims portal, case number, case handler. The broker isn't a "fast lane" alongside the normal process. I step in when the normal process isn't doing its job: the case stalls, or the two sides' positions clash.
- Routine case → the insurer's claims line and online portal are the fastest route.
- A stalled case (no substantive reply, the process has ground to a halt) or a disputed case (rejection, a disputed amount) → help from the broker.
- The broker is the client's broker acting on their instructions: helping wherever they can – documenting and liaising.
- Good documentation is the raw material of good help – which is why everything starts there.
When has a case "stalled"?
The signs are familiar: weeks without a substantive reply, requests for additional documents going round in circles, contradictory requests, an unreachable case handler. At that point, the client doesn't need more patience, they need a structured response: a written summary of where the case stands, a list of open questions, a request for a reply by a set deadline – and, if needed, the complaints-handling route. I take this work on: I know the processes, and I know what's worth asking for, and at which point.
When is a case "disputed"?
When the insurer's decision clashes with the client being right: a rejection on questionable grounds, a claim amount that falls short of reality, an exclusion invoked in a borderline case – typical territory here is the borderline between design and workmanship defects and interpreting protective requirements. A disputed case isn't a hopeless case: the quality of the argument and how well organised the evidence is can turn a great deal – a supplementary expert opinion, precise references to the wording, and reopening the loss calculation item by item.
What do I actually do?
I go through the whole file (policy, wording, correspondence, photos, diary) and tell you honestly what I see: where the case is strong, where it's weak. Based on the wording and the documents, I help build the case. I help with the discussion with the insurer – in writing, and traceably. And while the case lasts, I try to stay available, through whatever steps that takes. What I don't do: I don't promise an outcome – a disputed case is disputed precisely because it's still open; what I try to do is make sure the client's case proceeds in an orderly, documented way.
The best dispute resolution is prevention
The recurring common thread in disputed cases is incomplete documentation and an expectation left unclear at inception. That's why the two best "claims" articles aren't even about a claim: documentation and reading the wording. And if your case has already reached this point: bring the file, and I'll review it – the consultation is free, book here.
A question tailored to your own project? Book a free 20-minute project consultation →
