How To Claim

To deliver a fast and efficient claims service to our clients by guiding you through the claims process.
We will provide you with your own dedicated claims handler from within our team of claims experts to manage your claim and ensure you always know who to talk to. Our client focused approach and delivery of our technical expertise, enables us to handle any claims negotiations with care, efficiency and discretion.

Providing a straightforward approach to claims is at the heart of what we do.

You will find information and advice to guide you through the process to make a claim, whether it is in respect of a commercial, rural, private client or equine related matter.

In the event you need to make a claim, we are here to help you and to ensure that your claim gets resolved as quickly and smoothly as possible.

If you are making a Motor, Livestock, Property, Public or Product Liability claim the first step to take is to fill in a claims form, available below.

Once completed to the best of your knowledge you should then email the form to claims@lycetts.co.uk and one of the team will aim to be in touch within 24hours.

If your claim is related to something else or you would like to discuss your claim in more detail please contact your account management team as soon as possible.

Throughout the claims process, should you need our help we will be on hand to follow this up your claim with the insurer and keep you updated with the progress of the claim

If you are in any doubt about how to proceed please contact a member of our claim team who will immediately take action to help you.

We can be contacted on 0845 671 8999.

In the event of a claim please notify your Lycetts account executive or dedicated claims handler as soon as possible. It is a condition of all insurance policies that incidents that may result in claims are reported to insurers without delay. If such incidents are not reported within an acceptable timescale (usually 30 days from the time of the incident) your insurers may refuse to indemnify you.

The following notes are intended to assist you in taking the appropriate action to ensure your claims are dealt with as quickly as possible.

Property Damage and Theft

• If your claim has involved theft or malicious damage, please report it to the Police and take note of the crime reference number and details of when you notified them.
• Please take photos of any damage as evidence to support your claim
• For lost or stolen items, please provide proof of purchase and estimates for replacement on a like for like basis.
• For claims resulting from property damage, please provide a repair or replacement estimate on a like for like basis of the nearest equivalent replacement. This is applicable if the original is no longer available.

Legal Liabilities

• If an incident occurs that leads to injury or property damage involving an employee or member of the public, please notify us immediately. We will guide you through the process
• Serious injuries or fatalities must be reported immediately by telephone to enable your insurers to investigate should they wish. It is not acceptable to wait until the claimant has returned to work.
• Send us any letters or communication received in connection with an incident immediately, as these often have strict legal time frames in which your insurer must respond
• Do not make any admission of responsibility for an incident to a claimant or their representatives, without the agreement of your insurer
• Send us full written details and documentation relating to the issue. If in any doubt, contact us for advice
• We will report the matter to your insurer and they will investigate to determine if you are legally liable for the claim. This may include appointing a liability loss adjuster or representative and specialist solicitor to act on your behalf
• All damage should be reported as quickly as possible with serious incidents reported by telephone.
• Do not enter into correspondence with claimants or their representatives except to acknowledge receipt of correspondence.
• If a writ, summon, Court claim form or any legal documents are received they must be forwarded to Lycetts immediately.

Personal Accident & Sickness

• Any incident resulting in an injury or sickness should be reported as soon as possible.
• A claim form should be completed and forwarded to Lycetts.
• Wages details and a copy of any unfit to work certificates should be forwarded without delay so as not to prejudice interim payments.

Motor Accidents & Theft

Please remember at the scene of the accident you should:

• Exchange names, addresses and insurance details with all of the parties involved.
• Obtain the names and addresses of any independent witnesses
• Refrain from any admission of liability.

In addition, please note the following guidelines:

• A report must be made for all incidents, regardless if your vehicle is damaged or not. This can be done by either contacting the Lycetts claims team or by contacting your insurer claims helpline noted in your policy schedule
• Where damage is caused to your vehicle, regardless of fault, you are responsible for your policy excess. You will be expected to pay this sum to the garage in addition to the VAT, if you are VAT registered.
• If your vehicle has suffered damage, repairs can be arranged by an approved network repairer. They will assess your vehicle and carry out repairs, as well as providing a courtesy car subject to availability. If you wish to use your own repairer, please provide a repair estimate on letter headed paper with photos of the vehicle damage, serial number and miles recorded.
• If your vehicle is beyond economic repair or stolen and unrecovered, insurers will agree a pre-incident market value of the vehicle. Insurers will require the original V5C registration certificate, valid MOT certificate and any spare keys.
• If you need to hire alternative transport you must mitigate your losses. Your motor legal protection insurer will attempt to recover any uninsured losses, including your excess, from the third party if they are legally responsible.
• In the event you or the driver receive a court claim form, please contact us immediately as your insurers will have strict legal time frames in which to respond. It is also important that you do not respond to the documentation directly.
• If your vehicle is stolen, please report to the police and obtain a crime reference.

In the event of a claim please notify your Lycetts account executive or claims handler as soon as possible, and certainly of the incident. Some polices have strict time limits for notification of claims, so if there is a delay you may prejudice your claim.

If the claim is to be for theft or malicious damage, please remember to report the incident to the police and obtain a crime reference number.

On larger claims (in excess of £2,000) insurers may wish to appoint a loss adjuster, in which case your Lycetts team will provide advice on the procedure.

Regarding liability claims, it is essential that any potential claims are notified to Lycetts immediately and all correspondence is promptly forwarded to your Lycetts contact.

Household Claims

In the event of a property or contents related claim please notify your Lycetts account executive or claims handler as soon as possible, and certainly of the incident. Some polices have strict time limits for notification of claims, so if there is a delay you may prejudice your claim.

Please note these guidelines in the event of claim:

• Report immediately to the police any theft or loss and obtain a crime reference report.
• Secure or make safe property immediately.
• Report the claim to Lycetts within 30 days to enable the claim to be lodged with the insurer. Please note, most insurers operate telephone claim ‘helplines’ dispensing with the need for claim forms to be completed. The insurer should be able to put you in touch with approved repairers and to arrange for replacement electrical and jewellery items etc.
• Losses over £2,000 are usually handled by a loss adjuster or the insurer’s own claims inspectors.
• Two estimates are required for any works or replacement items.
• It is useful to keep a record of receipts / valuations / photographs for fine art and valuables.
• Claims are settled at the insurer’s option either by replacement, reinstatement, repair or payment.

Travel Claims

All travel insurers require specific original documentation in the event of a claim. For all claims this includes:

• Travel insurance certificate
• Tour operator’s booking invoices showing holiday costs
• Travel tickets – airline, ferry, coach etc.
• Travel itinerary

For personal effects claims, please note:

• Personal baggage and money losses must be reported to the local police and a written report received within 24 hours
• You must obtain the property irregularity reports, and retain tickets and baggage tags from airlines/carriers
• Evidence of ownership is required, for example, an original receipt, a photograph of the item concerned, an operating manual for a camera

For claims in regard to cancellation, curtailment or medical expenses, please note that the following is required:

• Written confirmation from Airline and/or Accommodation provide that trip has been cancelled and no refund is due
• Receipts for medication, consultations or treatment
• A medical certificate completed by your usual GP or consultant
• If emergency treatment is required or curtailment of trip is necessary, the emergency service provider must be contacted

Equine insurance

If your horse has suffered an injury, illness or disease, please contact your relevant office by telephone without delay:

Newmarket: 01638 676 700
Marlborough: 01672 512 512

Please note that both of these offices have designated emergency staff who deal with incidents which happen in the evening or at the weekend and an answering machine will direct you accordingly. In particular we are used to receiving calls concerning life threatening fractures, colic and horses which are about to be operated on under general anaesthetic.

If you horse has already died, please advise us as soon as reasonably possible and send us the following:

• A post mortem report
• A report from the attending vet
• A completed claim form (which we will send to you upon receipt of notification of loss)

Equine Liability

In the event of a serious incident please email or telephone your usual Lycetts contact with the details and the completed RIDDOR report form.

If you receive formal notification of a claim, please forward the letter by email or fax to your usual Lycetts contact. Please do not make any attempt to reply direct, even if the allegations are untrue.

Please note that there is an obligation placed upon insurers to acknowledge receipt of a formal claim within 24 hours and it is therefore important that we receive it as soon as possible.

Equine Property

In the event of an equine property related claim, please follow these guidelines:

• Report immediately to the police any theft or loss and obtain a crime reference report.
• Secure or make safe property immediately.
• Report the claim to Lycetts within 30 days to enable the claim to be lodged with the insurer. Please note, most insurers operate telephone claim ‘helplines’ dispensing with the need for claim forms to be completed. The insurer should be able to put you in touch with approved repairers and to arrange for replacement electrical and jewellery items etc.
• Losses over £2,000 are usually handled by a loss adjuster or the insurer’s own claims inspectors.
• Two estimates are required for any works or replacement items.
• It is useful to keep a record of receipts / valuations / photographs for fine art and valuables.
• Claims are settled at the insurer’s option either by replacement, reinstatement, repair or payment.