Insurance Claim

[smurfchops]

Should the insurance company pay for an assessor to verify the claim, or is it down to the person making the claim? A claim for water damage by the way.

[barry1010]

The person hiring the assessor pays, usually the insurance company

[barry1010]

Apologies, the assessor is usually employed by the claimant to manage the claim; my previous answer was referring to the loss adjuster

[smurfchops]

He/she is being brought in by my insurance company to check if my claim is valid.

[barry1010]

The insurance company should pay

[smurfchops]

They said it would affect my claim money wise and my renewal ..

[douglas9401]

I can only speak to Direct Line who dealt with everything for a water damage claim, never asking for a penny from me.

It included assessment, dehumidifiers, fans and reimbursement of the cost of the electricity to run them.

[barry1010]

The reality is he will be a loss adjuster and his job is to minimise the payout if possible.
Any claim can affect future payments.
What are you claiming for?

[smurfchops]

Bad leak, going on for a while, I. didn’t notice it at first, went on holiday and flooded kitchen when I got home a couple of weeks ago, needs new flooring, kitchen units. They just want to see photos, which doesn’t show all the details. And I have sent two estimates.

[barry1010]

Standard practice in this sort of case to send a loss adjuster out. It is not unknown for people to inflate their insurance claims and the insurance company will need to assess damage caused by the leak and damage caused by 'wear and tear'.
You say it needs new kitchen units, just how deep was the water? They will want to see if just the legs and plinths need replacing and assess the quality of the units if they do need replacing.

They will also need to assess the damage under the floor - the floor joists, foundations etc.

Here is a brief but useful summary of the claims process https://www.morganclark.co.uk/about-us/blog/how-to-make-a-successful-water-leak-insurance-claim/

By the way, if you do need new base units don't expect the insurance company to make sure they match the wall units.

[barry1010]

Have you done everything you can to minimise the damage, such as use a dehumidifier to dry the area out, moved whatever you can from the damaged area, made it safe?