Storms cause insurance nightmare
Published On 19 January 2007
The storms that have lashed across the UK over the last few days have caused insurers a headache as claims for damaged property and possessions increase.Lloyds TSB has brought in extra staff to deal with the high level of claims and Zurich is among the other providers reporting a surge in phone enquiries.
Head of customer service at Lloyds TSB Insurance, David Stoddard, commented: "Storms can cause serious damage to properties in a matter of seconds and of course anyone affected will want to get things back to normal as soon as possible.
"The best way to make sure your claim is dealt with quickly and efficiently is to contact your insurer as soon as the damage is done. It's especially important to start the process early at times like this.
"With call volumes so high, lines can get extremely busy and we're asking customers to be patient while we deal with their enquiries."
The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has warned customers to brace themselves for more storm related damage as extreme weather conditions become more prevalent in the future.
Jane Milne, the ABI's spokesman, said: "Insurers are geared up to dealing with storm damage claims as quickly and efficiently as possible.
"Over the last three years they have paid on average £600 million a year to policy holders hit by storms."
