Imagine this…
An employee is texting you morning, noon, and night asking for £thousands — “My wife says you have to pay.” “When are you going to pay?” “Send me the money.” You feel backed into a corner, pressured, and over a barrel. Sounds stressful?
Thanks to the systems we put in place, the company in this scenario won’t be paying this person a single penny — not now, not ever. Why? Because our protection measures work. Our team is trained to an exceptionally high standard — a level of preparation that’s incredibly rare to find — especially when dealing with manipulation, aggressive tactics, and high-pressure situations like this.
Background
In early 2024, our client, a shop fitting business, reached out to us regarding an incident that had occurred over a year earlier in 2023. One of their workers had a steel post fall on his shoulder while on the job. At the time of the incident, the injury appeared minor—no hospitalisation was required, and the employee took just one day off before returning to work. Unfortunately, the injury developed into a more serious condition: a rotator cuff issue that later required surgery.
Thirteen months after the incident, the injured worker informed the employer he would need to undergo surgery at a private clinic and requested a settlement of £15,000 to cover the expected time off work.
Our Response
Upon receiving the information, our team immediately advised the client not to agree to a settlement privately. Instead, we emphasised the importance of notifying their insurers and following proper procedures. Our client listened to our advice, and we swiftly informed the insurers of the situation.
The claim was acknowledged, and negotiations are now ongoing between the claimant (represented by solicitors) and the insurers. As brokers, we are not involved in these negotiations directly but continually ask for updates. All correspondence is channelled through our claims manager, Lisa, before reaching the client, ensuring clarity, compliance, and support throughout the process.
Key Challenges
- Delayed Reporting: The original incident was not reported at the time and was not recorded in the company’s accident book. This introduced a risk that the insurer could reject the claim due to late notification.
- Private Surgery: The worker is pursuing treatment through a private clinic, which significantly increases the potential claim value.
- Lack of Initial Documentation: The absence of immediate documentation complicated early stages of the claim and required careful management and proactive communication.
Proactive Risk Management
To prevent similar situations in the future, Lisa implemented a proactive system:
- Regular Check-Ins: Lisa contacts the client to ask if any new issues have arisen. Lisa follows up with detailed questions to assess potential risk factors.
- Guidance on Best Practices: Lisa helps the client implement proper procedures to meet insurance conditions
- Risk Management Advice: Invaluable tips to reduce risks and maintain insurer confidence.
Proactive outreach ensures that minor incidents are properly documented and assessed in real time, reducing exposure and supporting the client’s long-term insurance position.
Ongoing Support and Client Relationship
This case illustrates the importance of having an engaged and knowledgeable broker on your side. Lisa’s background working with insurers gives her a unique insight into what information is critical when a claim arises. She has continued to provide hands-on support, ensuring our client remains compliant and protected moving forward.
Lisa regularly chases updates from the insurers and keeps the client informed. Even though the claim is ongoing, our commitment to our client has not waivered—we continue to support them operationally, helping them run more efficiently and secure their insurance renewals.
Conclusion (So Far)
This case remains open, and the outcome is still to be determined. However, thanks to early intervention, strong broker-client communication, and Lisa’s proactive risk management, our client is now better positioned to navigate this claim and avoid similar issues in the future.
This business was extremely lucky. We proactively contact them regularly to ask about issues like this They didn’t tell us initially – “because I didn’t want the premium to increase”. This is despite us telling them that they could – “tell us anything and it wouldn’t increase their premium”. This myth needs to be dispelled and we try and do that here.
We managed to avert a unwelcome dent in finances, yet insurers don’t usually deal with claims that have been disclosed late and each insurer has different deadlines. Proactivity is key.
Wrap Up
We take client confidentiality extremely seriously. You can confide in us and it goes no further, we’re on your side!!!
Click here; Our testimonials prove it.
Watch this space for the full story once the claim concludes.
If anything here resonates with you, don’t hesitate to get in contact with us.
