your local, regional and global loss adjusters

your local, regional and
global loss adjusters
vrs vericlaim at a glance
vrs Vericlaim is a practitioner-led loss adjusting firm specialising in commercial,
corporate, major loss, high/mid net worth and third party administrator (TPA) claims.
To deliver independent global expertise
in corporate, commercial, high/ mid net
worth and TPA claims through outstanding
service, empowered staff and an aspirational
environment.
A STRONG NATIONWIDE PRESENCE
Headquartered in London, we operate
a nationwide service from nine locations Birmingham, Bristol, Belfast, Brentwood, Glasgow,
Leeds, London, Manchester and Uxbridge. Since
we began serving clients in 2010, we have grown
from 44 staff members to more than 200. The
majority of our team are professional claims
handlers and adjusters, many of whom are CII,
CILA, RICS and FCA qualified. We have a strong
presence throughout the UK and our team brings
the strength and expertise necessary to help
clients resolve claims.
100% OF SURVEYED
CUSTOMERS AGREE
THAT THEY RECEIVE
A QUALITY SERVICE,
WITH NEARLY TWO
THIRDS STRONGLY
AGREEING
our mission
GLASGOW
LEEDS
BELFAST
BIRMINGHAM
MANCHESTER
BRENTWOOD
LONDON
BRISTOL
UXBRIDGE
16,000 CLAIMS
ANNUALLY
KEY MILESTONES
In April 2014, vrs Vericlaim acquired Ellis May,
a loss adjusting practice specialising in the
handling of high/mid net worth and subsidence
Toplis and
Toplis
& Harding,
McLarens Toplis
*
claims for exacting clients many of whom
100%
OF
RESPONDENTS
Harding, London
Chicago
specialise in this segment. Ellis May now operates
ARE CONFIDENT IN OUR TECHNICAL
as the vrs Vericlaim Home Claims Division.
ABILITY WITH OVER THREE QUARTERS
BEING VERY CONFIDENT
1780
GLOBALLY CONNECTED
WE HANDLE OVER
vrs Vericlaim is a member of the vrs Adjusters
global adjusting organisation which provides
services through more than 470 offices in 143
countries. Its member companies are leaders in
their respective territories and the international
loss adjusting market.
1818
September 2014, vrs Vericlaim was acquired by
1918 InSedgwick
1996
Claims Management Services, Inc., the
1932
leading global provider of technology-enabled
claims and productivity management solutions.
In June 2015,
vrs Vericlaim
acquired Certo to
McLaren
Dick
develop and
its TPA
Co solution and further strengthen its
commercial loss adjusting services. Established in
2002, Certo has 70 staff members serving clients
from offices in Leeds, Birmingham, Glasgow
and Brentwood. This latest acquisition takes
vrs Vericlaim’s annual revenue to around £17.5m.
Howell &
Brooks
WE HAVE THE
HIGHEST RATIO OF
PROFESSIONALLY
QUALIFIED STAFF
OF ANY MAJOR UK ADJUSTER
Toplis and
Harding, London
1780
Toplis & Harding,
Chicago
1818
Howell &
Brooks
1918
McLarens Toplis
1996
1932
McLaren Dick
and Co
Capita
McLarens
2001
vrs Vericlaim begins
serving clients
2005
2010
Teceris Corporate &
Complex Adjusting
Sedgwick acquires
vrs Vericlaim
2014
vrs Vericlaim
acquires Ellis May
2015
vrs Vericlaim
acquires Certo
*vrs Vericlaim Client Satisfaction Survey Summer 2015
1
Introduction to vrs Vericlaim UK
Introduction to vrs Vericlaim UK
2
a word from our managing director
We are proud to have built a successful loss adjusting practice that is recognised as a
leading specialist in its chosen fields, not only for our core technical strengths but also for
our strong customer focus.
Our objective is to continue expanding our
capabilities to offer a significant, independent,
professional services ‘one stop shop’ for our
clients. We have completed two strategic
acquisitions to bring us closer to this goal.
The acquisition of Ellis May in 2014 added a
premium adjusting service for insurers with
high and mid net worth clients, while our
2015 purchase of Certo’s successful third
party administration (TPA) operation fits
perfectly with future Vericlaim and Sedgwick
development plans to take a greater share of
the UK’s growing TPA market. Additionally, our
already strong liability offering has been further
enhanced by Certo’s comprehensive liability
solutions.
Our growth mantra is simply ‘more of the
same.’ Our model has proved to be both
successful and attractive in the market place
and our aim is simply to do more of what we
are good at for more and more insurers, brokers
and corporates. At the same time, we plan to
extend our presence in other sectors, notably
public authorities, education, construction,
engineering and energy.
3
Our strategy for achieving our growth objectives
involves the continued recruitment of market
leading individuals and the acquisition of
specialist and niche firms that share our
supportive culture and commitment to quality
and customer service. In all of the loss adjusting
markets where vrs Vericlaim operates, there
are plenty of opportunities for us to grow both
organically and through the right acquisitions.
Our goal is to build ‘best of breed’ specialist
teams to offer a fully integrated adjusting
service for our clients regardless of where
they are in the world, and for them to use
our services knowing that their claims will
be handled by experienced, empathetic and
dedicated adjusters – from start to finish.
Stewart Steel
Managing Director
vrs Vericlaim UK
Introduction to vrs Vericlaim UK
Introduction to vrs Vericlaim UK
4
our business philosophy
With a strong focus on the SME marketplace,
we are ahead of the game in this area. In our
booklet “Getting you back to business
as usual: A guide to the loss adjusting
process for SME claims”, we explain how we
immediately appoint an adjuster to take personal
responsibility and to be the primary contact for
the duration of the claim. Where the loss is of
significant size or complexity, the adjuster will
begin the investigation immediately and will
typically visit the same day.
“Many thanks for making this claim
a painless one. We appreciate your
time and commitment to resolving
the matter as quickly as possible.”
Children’s hospice charity customer
IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU
Customer focus is at the centre of our business
model and our claims handling philosophy.
Our adjusters are experienced and empathetic,
and they have the necessary skill set to sensitively
manage the various relationships and occasional
political issues that present themselves during the
lifecycle of a typical claim.
“I was really impressed with vrs
the other day, they called me within
10 minutes of you appointing them
and they visited the property the
next day”
Claims manager, UK brokerage firm
5
We look at everything from the customer’s
perspective – regardless of whether the customer
is the insured or the insurer. For any insured
business or individual suffering a loss, we
understand how critical it is to keep the business
going and to be quickly and appropriately
compensated for a loss. For the insurer, it is vital
that claims are quickly and accurately validated
and liability is promptly determined.
In the FCA’s May 2015 Thematic Review:
Handling of insurance claims for Small
and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs),
evidence was found that claims were not always
being managed effectively in the interests of
SME customers. The most common cause of
dissatisfaction was a lack of clarity over who was
responsible for driving the claims outcome.
Introduction to vrs Vericlaim UK
We know that speed, responsiveness, good
communication, first class technical skills and
commitment are the keys to achieving the best
outcome for all parties concerned – and we
always score highly in these attributes whenever
we seek our clients’ feedback.
In our most recent client satisfaction survey
conducted in early summer 2015, our clients
cited the following attributes as the top three
that differentiate us from our competitors:
• Calibre, experience and technical quality of staff
• Attention to and focus on client needs
• Good communication.
Nine out of ten respondents also agreed that
they received a quality product/service from
vrs Vericlaim which was value for money.
Introduction to vrs Vericlaim UK
Although we are encouraged by this feedback,
we are not surprised as our business model is
founded on our commitment to developing
mutually beneficial long-term relationships with
customers, and providing the highest quality
claims resolution and claims management
services in the industry.
“The vrs Vericlaim organisational
culture seems to promote a sense of
ownership and pride in quality service
and client relations.”
Dixons Carphone
RECRUITING AND RETAINING
THE BEST PEOPLE
We are proud that our people are considered to
be the best in the business and that we have an
enviable reputation for developing and retaining
our staff.
We have developed a framework that identifies
the knowledge and competencies required of
adjusters through the various stages of their career
development and we train our people accordingly.
In the early stages, our development programme
is shaped by requirements for CILA qualification
but the focus also extends to more practical
aspects of case handling, customer service and file
management.
We take succession planning very seriously to
ensure a balanced combination of youthful
enthusiasm, new ideas, reliability and industry
experience. This spectrum of expertise from
trainees to senior adjusters – together with our
policy of recruitment ahead of demand – not only
allows us to deliver the best possible service but
also helps to ‘futureproof’ vrs Vericlaim’s growth
and development.
6
global reach
AT THE HEART OF A GLOBAL NETWORK
Through our leadership of the global vrs Adjusters
organisation and the acquisition by Sedgwick,
vrs Vericlaim offers clients a truly international
service capability across the spectrum of claims
services from global, speciality and commercial to
personal lines and TPA claims management.
The vrs organisation enables us to deliver service
at a local, regional and global level. Local
territory management has day-to-day operational
responsibility for service delivery while the directors
of the six vrs global regions are responsible for
ensuring compliance with our strict technical
and governance requirements and for delivering
consistently high quality service in their regions.
Our UK philosophy of strong personal accountability
is mirrored internationally by our vrs Adjusters
partners across 143 territories worldwide. When
we work for a global client with vrs member firms,
designated individuals have personal responsibility
for claims in their own country and all parties work
closely to deliver the best service to their clients.
The multinational global board comprises the
leaders of the main vrs partner companies. As
equity in the vrs Adjusters business is owned by
these principal corporate partners, this adds an
“owner-operator” dynamic that is often missing in
other global competitors.
ACCESS TO “A WORLD OF RESOURCES“
THROUGH SEDGWICK
Sedgwick is the leading global provider of
technology-enabled claims and productivity
management solutions, delivering a world of
expert resources to a diverse client base through
more than 12,000 colleagues in some 275
offices located in the United States, Canada and
the UK. The company specialises in workers’
compensation; disability, FMLA and other
employee absence; managed care; general,
automobile and professional liability; property
loss adjusting; warranty and credit card claims
services; fraud and investigation; structured
settlements; Medicare compliance solutions; and
forensic investigations.
7
Introduction to vrs Vericlaim UK
Introduction to vrs Vericlaim UK
Our relationship with Sedgwick gives us greater
resources and expertise to invest in service
delivery and innovative solutions to further
improve efficiency, response times and technical
expertise. Together with our Sedgwick colleagues,
we now offer our clients an even broader range
of value-added claims services.
Through our vrs Adjusters membership, we shall
also help Sedgwick to widen its North American
footprint and extend its end-to-end solutions into
Europe and Asia.
8
our services
When vrs Vericlaim opened its doors for business in 2010,our core service areas
included commercial and corporate claims with a strong focus on the property claims
sector. Through the acquisitions of Ellis May and Certo, we have significantly extended
our capabilities. We now provide claims services for our clients through four primary
divisions - Global and Speciality, Commercial Adjusting, TPA and Home. Our fraud
investigators provide an integrated claims service across all four divisions, offering non
intrusive screening solutions and comprehensive support to our claims handlers
and adjusters.
GLOBAL AND SPECIALITY
CLAIMS SERVICES
Global claims
When vrs Adjusters work for a global client,
designated individuals have personal responsibility
for claims in their own country and all parties
work closely together to deliver the best service to
their clients.
Corporate
We have built a strong corporate account
practice and are now nominated on over 500
corporate accounts, receiving new nominations at
a rate of more than one a week. These accounts
include UK corporates, FTSE 100 companies and
multinational conglomerates.
We work closely with insurers, brokers and risk
managers to create tailor-made claims handling
solutions that meet the needs of each party.
We create streamlined processes that facilitate
smooth claims handling and the production
of accurate and meaningful management
information and risk improvement reports.
Financial risk
Our team of accounting experts have successfully
resolved some of the most complex and notable
Business Interruption, Fidelity Guarantee,
Professional Indemnity and related financial lines
claims to hit the market in recent years. Cyber
issues, including hacking, viruses, worms, ”Trojan
horses” or distributed denial of service (DDS)
attacks are rapidly increasing and can involve
considerable financial exposure to an insured
party. This can extend to potential third party
liability issues if the insured’s system has corrupted
other systems. This is a fast growing area of new
business for the company.
“The quality of the report and the
interactive functionality is first rate
and it was obvious that our client was
suitably impressed. This should really
help enhance our claims and risk
management analytical capabilities
on this account.”
Where appropriate, we engage appropriately
qualified external consultants to assist us to
conduct fast and effective investigations under our
leadership and direction.
Aon Risk Solutions
Construction
Public authorities and education
We specialise in the investigation and resolution
of complex construction and engineering claims
– from property investor portfolio risks to major
tunnel collapses – with a particular emphasis on
Construction All Risks (CAR), Erection All Risks
(EAR), professional indemnity, defects liability and
advanced profits coverage.
We understand the needs of public sector and
educational organisations. Our society depends
on these organisations to deliver services to both
our young and most vulnerable citizens and any
disruption to services can have a serious impact on
a huge number of people. We provide experience,
empathy and creativity in our approach.
Our multi-disciplined, qualified experts have
handled some of the insurance industry’s largest
and most complex claims and are geographically
spread around the UK to ensure consistent, high
quality nationwide coverage.
Our defining strength is the quality and
experience of our staff. From the moment we are
involved in an incident we are able to support
clients in managing an incident and minimising its
potential to cause disruption.
We understand the importance of early and
accurate communication to all those involved.
This is second nature to our experienced staff
and provides assurance that an incident is under
control. We recognise the financial challenges
faced and work with insurers to ensure accurate
and timely funding is provided.
9
Introduction to vrs Vericlaim UK
Introduction to vrs Vericlaim UK
10
We recognise that construction claims often
involve multiple parties and require sensitive
handling. Our tailored approach to customer
service ensures that we manage the expectations
and commercial interests of all stakeholders
without compromising the technical aspects of
the investigation.
Lloyd’s and London market
Our London office is conveniently located for us
to provide personal and proactive services for the
Lloyd’s and London market. It also serves as a
gateway to the wider vrs organisation for our UK
and international operations. Over the years, our
profile has grown by delivering first class services
and carefully managing the expectations of all
stakeholders.
COMMERCIAL ADJUSTING
Commercial property
Commercial property claims handling is an
important part of our core business and we have
built an enviable reputation in this sector. We
provide a multi-disciplinary service for all types
of commercial property risks, including buildings,
stock, fixtures and fittings, and business
interruption.
Our model for managing property claims is
to take clear ownership of every case from
beginning to resolution, with responsibility for
the claim resting with the handling adjuster.
An assessment of the potential impact of the
business interruption is one of our first priorities
and we work together with insurers to control
financial exposure from the outset.
“Not only is the service technically
excellent, there is also a deep
understanding of the need to keep
the many stakeholders closely
informed as claims progress and
to manage expectations wherever
necessary.”
A Real Estate broker
A policyholders broker
Major loss
Managing major loss claims for businesses of all
sizes – from SMEs to international conglomerates
– is another of our core services for which we are
widely recognised within the insurance industry.
Our priority is always to get the business ‘back in
business’ as quickly as possible, while managing
spend in accordance with coverage.
Liability
Our nationwide complement of skilled adjusting
resources provide services to assist clients
with property, business interruption, liability,
construction, engineering and financial losses.
We always respond quickly to take control as
soon as an instruction is received.
• Public
We closely manage and monitor the loss and
ensure our clients are provided with the required
level of detail to enable a prompt review of
policy liability.
• Construction
Our strong team has years of experience in
handling complex, contentious and high value
claims. With this experience, coupled with our
multi-disciplinary approach, we are uniquely
equipped to manage claims across all classes of
liability business:
• Product
• Guarantee and recall
• Financial loss
• Professional indemnity
• Catastrophic property damage
• Environmental pollution.
Our investigation approach quickly establishes
the merits of a case and identifies the most costeffective way of dealing with the claim.
CLAIMS MANAGEMENT SERVICES (TPA)
Property
We have a highly experienced desktop team
handling commercial property and liability
accounts under TPA agreements for insurers,
brokers, managing general agents (MGAs) and
We do not “hand off” the claim to back office
service centres. Where required, expert resources
such as accountants, engineers and surveyors
are deployed under the control of the handling
adjuster.
11
“It has been comforting to see
our mutual client insurer, Aspen
Insurance, and the loss adjuster vrs
Vericlaim behave in such a supportive
way. From an old fashioned broker’s
perspective… it is satisfying to
see such recommended solutions
perform so well.”
Introduction to vrs Vericlaim UK
Introduction to vrs Vericlaim UK
corporations. We offer bespoke solutions to
meet the specific needs of our clients, supported
by a flexible IT system that incorporates a
comprehensive management information
capability and offers clients access to real-time
data.
Our team provides exceptional customer service
coupled with a high degree of technical and
product knowledge. In the last audit carried
out on our TPA business, our instructing insurer
principals awarded us a score of 98%. On a
retail account that we have handled for five
years, we achieved a sustained denial rate of
over 53% and reduced the average settlement
cost on paid claims by 33% compared with our
predecessor.
“…speedy claims response and first
class adjusting process which has
been entirely satisfactory to us as
‘cover holder’ and to the insurer.”
Risk Alliance Group
12
professional practice and construction including
civil and structural engineering, quantity and
building surveying, geotechnical engineering, and
historic buildings. Our team also has the training
and experience needed to assist with fraud claims
– linking into our wider fraud capability - and
we have an excellent record of saving substantial
sums for insurers.
Casualty
Our casualty adjusters have the expertise to
handle a wide range of claims such as product
liability and recall, employer and contractor
liability, professional indemnity, environmental
liability and construction defects.
Working closely with insurers, insureds and legal
counsel, we take full responsibility for managing
the claim and ensuring a prompt settlement
wherever possible. For more complex claims, we
collect and maintain evidence over an extended
time frame to ensure that the resolution is
based on the most accurate and comprehensive
information available.
Run-off
Our TPA team manages run-off on discontinued
portfolios to minimise our clients’ exposure to
all classes of insurance and reinsurance business
including liability, motor and property.
Our services are tailored to meet each client’s
objectives and requirements and include: whole
account/portfolio management, rationalisation
of operations to achieve operational efficiency,
releasing capital from run-off, finality for losses,
contracts and account portfolios.
HOME
“Your adjuster dealt with the clients in
a most professional and yet friendly
manner… my client and I discussed
how well he handled the claim.”
Managing Director, HNW Brokerage
High/mid net worth
Ellis May, Home Claims Division, has adjusters
with extensive experience in handling high/mid
net worth claims from listed buildings to antiques
and fine art. We know that managing these cases
is very different from processing volume claims
and we have developed our expertise accordingly.
We always seek to understand the unique needs
of the customer, to ensure that the broker and
insurer are well informed at every stage of the
claim process and to provide a contact person to
assist with any queries.
Our chartered professionals have varied
backgrounds in insurance, loss adjusting,
13
We have excellent working relationships with
building contractors, building professionals and
industry specialists and operate an approved
contractor panel of high quality, trusted and
vetted suppliers who can provide assistance with
high/mid net worth claims when required. Unlike
many of our competitors, we do not derive
income from these sources, seeing this as an
unacceptable conflict of interest.
Introduction to vrs Vericlaim UK
Complex and high value claims
We offer a traditional approach to household
loss adjusting that puts the technical skill and
knowledge of the adjuster at the forefront of
the process. With many years’ experience, our
adjusters guide policyholders through the claim
process with ease, taking time to explain all
matters relating to the incident and using their
vast knowledge of available solutions to achieve a
settlement most appropriate to the circumstances
of the client. Flexibility is key and this requires
adjusters with knowledge and confidence to
think creatively rather than simply engage a
vanilla supply chain solution.
Introduction to vrs Vericlaim UK
With insurers ever keener to distinguish their
products in what has become a very heavily
commoditised market sector, demand for higher
quality claims services increases. With our
renowned profile in this space, we are seeing a
significant increase in work volumes.
Subsidence
We have a proven track record of high quality
subsidence claims handling. Through our
subsidence claims hub in Uxbridge, our clients
can access experienced building adjusters,
surveyors and engineers throughout the UK
and be supported by a dedicated customer and
administration team throughout the lifecycle of
the claim. Our team is also regularly involved in
cause analysis.
In addition to the provision of tried, tested
and trusted contractors on our approved
panel, we also operate an approved supplier
list that comprises our proven ancillary service
providers such as site investigation specialty,
arboriculturalists and other specialist engineers
and repairers. We can introduce these high
quality suppliers should the need arise.
FRAUD
We have developed a wholly integrated fraud
screening process that enables suspicious
claims to be managed by the handling adjuster
throughout the life of the case, rather than
handed off to a separate resource. We achieve
this through the strategic use of leading-edge
technology and processes to support our
adjusters in the field.
By having our fraud investigators work
alongside our adjusters, we ensure that our
renowned customer service and proactive claims
management approach remain consistent
throughout the investigations.
14
For further information about vrs Vericlaim and how we can help you, please contact our team
members at the service divisions listed below.
GLOBAL AND SPECIALITY CLAIMS
CONSTRUCTION
George Moss
T +44 (0)20 7709 4049
M +44 (0)7827 981905
[email protected]
Luke Exford
T +44 (0)20 7709 4038
M +44 (0)7711 958424
[email protected]
CLAIMS MANAGEMENT
SERVICES (TPA)
CORPORATE
LLOYD’S AND LONDON MARKET
Peter Chart
T +44 (0)20 7709 4031
M +44 (0)7803 857326
[email protected]
George Moss
T +44 (0)20 7709 4049
M +44 (0)7827 981905
[email protected]
LIABILITY
COMMERCIAL ADJUSTING
Nick Patterson
T +44 (0)20 7709 4045
M +44 (0)7867 455446
[email protected]
Ian Huckstep
T +44 (0)20 7709 4030
M +44 (0)7860 611923
[email protected]
SUBSIDENCE
FINANCIAL RISK
MAJOR LOSS
PUBLIC AUTHORITIES / EDUCATION
Damian Glynn
T +44 (0)121 200 8682
M +44 (0)7920 877658
[email protected]
Mike Weatherhead
T +44 (0)1526 388197
M +44 (0)7850 200244
[email protected]
Alistair Halley
T +44 (0)141 779 5231
M +44 (0)7860 922219
[email protected]
David Harrison
T +44 (0)113 3879000
M +44 (0)7811365565
[email protected]
HOME / HIGH AND MID NET WORTH
Clive Ellis
T +44 (0)1895 520101
M +44 (0)7976 608878
[email protected]
Chris Peerless
M +44 (0)7885 386506
[email protected]
FRAUD
vrs Vericlaim UK Ltd is a firm of Chartered Loss Adjusters and independent claim specialists who operate under a Royal
Charter to investigate, negotiate and agree on the conclusion of insurance and other claims on behalf of insurers and
policyholders. Our professional staff are also individual members of the Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusters (CILA). Our
activities are regulated by the requirements of CILA’s Charter and Code of Professional Conduct and also indirectly by the
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). If you have a complaint that is not dealt with to your satisfaction by the person responsible
for your claim, please refer the matter in the first instance to their branch manager.
© 2015 vrs Vericlaim UK Ltd.
Richard Dyer
T +44 (0)121 200 8680
M +44 (0)7788 388974
[email protected]