Major and Complex Claims

Owens McCarthy’s Major and Complex Loss team are professionals who have unrivalled knowledge and expertise across a wide-range of claims disciplines. We will work with you to ensure that the loss event causes the minimum disruption to your business. We will discover better ways to meet your business objectives – minimising threats and maximising opportunities.

Owens McCarthy have extensive experience in dealing with large and complex losses, from the co-ordination and preparation of the claim through to successful settlement.

Loss Examples

• Fire in Restaurant Facility – NUI Maynooth, Co Kildare
• Storm damage on M3 Construction Project, Co Meath
• Flood damage at Printing Business – Cork City
• Flood damage at Cork City Courthouse & Cork City Museum
• Flood damage at -Riverview Shopping Centre, Bandon, Co Cork
• Fire at large recycling plant, Yorkshire England
• Fire at Recycling Plant, Dublin 22
• Fire at Bus Depot, Kilcoole, Co Kildare
• Flood damage at Large Apartment Complex – Ballsbridge, Dublin 2
• Flood damage for Newry By-Pass Project, Co Down
• Flood damage at Kingsley Hotel, Cork City
• Clerys of O’Connell Street (Department Store), Dublin
• Fire at Commercial Vehicle Retailer/Service Centre, Co. Limerick

The Process

We firmly believe that every Policyholder is entitled to protect their interests and to ensure that their contractual rights (under the policy) are fully vindicated and secured. With this in mind, there are a number of points that an Insured should consider at the outset of the claim process, namely:

The process of settling a major claim is lengthy and time consuming. Insurers will appoint a range of experts to assist them in dealing with the loss. These professionals represent the interests of the Insurers. There will be a need for an extensive exchange of information and documentation.
You are the experts in your business and you will make the decisions that are correct for you. These decisions (and what’s right for your business) will drive the business recovery plan and dictate the extent of loss mitigation measures.
The onus rests with you, the Policyholder, to fully document your claim and provide evidence in support of the various headings. The quality of this claim presentation and supporting documentation is crucial to a timely and appropriate settlement.
Providing inaccurate information in substantiation of the loss can potentially (negatively) affect the speed and value of the settlement.
Convincing the Loss Adjuster of the merits of the claim is key to any large loss. Communication is vital throughout the process and too much is always better than too little. No room should be left for ambiguity, assumptions or vagaries – the Loss Adjuster and the Insurers must be held to account at all times.

Our Major and Complex Loss Team is headed by Declan Feely

Declan started his career in 1981 with Shield Insurance Co (now Zurich). During his time at Shield Declan completed his ACII and MMII exams in Marketing. A change of career in 1988 lead him to Scully Tyrrell & Co. Loss Adjusters (now Cunningham Lindsey). Over the past twenty-eight years Declan has continued his education and is now a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusters (FCILA) and a European Loss Adjusting Expert (FUEDI-ELAE). During his adjusting career Declan has dealt with literally thousands of property and business interruption claims. He has a very broad experience in Large and Complex losses in Ireland, the United Kingdom and continental Europe. Declan was Director of Major and Complex Loss and Head of Property Claims for Cunningham Lindsey.

Please contact Declan directly on 087 25 25 255 or dfeely@owensmccarthy.com should you have any queries in relation to our specialist major and complex loss solutions.