Salmon Assessors

Salmon Assessors: loss assessors for fire, flood and burglary claims

Salmon Assessors is a UK firm of loss assessors and insurance claim negotiators that presents itself as acting for the policyholder rather than for the insurer. The company states it was established in 1983 and that it has specialised in burglary claims for over thirty years. Its work centres on managing insurance claims for private individuals and businesses, with an initial consultation offered without obligation or charge.

The firm draws an explicit distinction between its role and that of the loss adjuster appointed by the insurance company. In its own explanation, the insurer's adjuster is paid by the insurer and therefore tends to defend the insurer's position, while Salmon Assessors is paid by the client or by the client's building contractors and so represents the policyholder's interests. It also notes that many prospective clients assume it is independent and states plainly that it is not.

Claims handled

The core of the service is the management and negotiation of property and business claims. The areas the company lists are:

• Fire claims, for homes and for businesses, including help arranging like-for-like alternative accommodation at no extra cost where it is needed.
• Burglary claims, for homes and for businesses, the specialty in which the firm says it has the longest track record.
• Flood and water damage claims, for homes and for businesses, with emphasis on stopping the flow of water and drying the property as early as possible.
• Subsidence claims.
• Business interruption claims, handled with forensic accountants who work exclusively on this type of claim and take into account future losses as well as immediate ones.

The company states that it does not cover personal injury or car incidents.

Fees and the no win, no fee arrangement

According to the information provided, the first consultation carries no cost or obligation. If the firm is appointed, its fees are calculated as a small percentage of the value of the claim and are charged on a no win, no fee basis. The company argues that this aligns its interest with the client's, since a higher settlement produces a higher fee. It also states that it does not charge when a claim is not paid, and that in three decades of negotiating claims it can count unpaid claims on one hand.

When policyholders approach the firm

The company says clients arrive at every stage of the claims process, although it recommends being instructed from the outset so that the claim can be set in motion correctly. It reports that many policyholders contact it one or two months into a claim, once they perceive delays or attempts by the insurer to avoid responsibility. It also notes that some come after a claim has already been rejected, a stage it describes as particularly difficult, and states that over its history it has reversed thousands of claims that would otherwise not have been paid.

Under-insurance and the insurer's adjuster

On under-insurance, the firm explains that an insurer may reduce a settlement severely, or even reject a claim for gross under-insurance, and that the assessment is not always as clear cut as insurers suggest. In burglary claims it describes a common tactic of overstating the value of items that were not stolen in order to make the policyholder appear inadequately insured. Its stated method is to build a conclusive list of items to present to the loss adjuster.

The company also warns about the first meeting with the insurer's adjuster, where, in its account, a friendly manner can lead policyholders to say something that damages the claim. It adds that claims above £3,000 typically trigger the appointment of a loss adjuster by the insurer.

Professional support and positioning

Where a claim requires the services of an architect or a surveyor, Salmon Assessors says it works with firms specialising in building insurance claims and can suggest independent experts to act in the client's interest. It argues that a surveyor appointed by a loss adjuster tends to share the adjuster's bias towards saving the insurer money.

The firm describes itself as acknowledged by the media and its clients as the UK's leading insurance claim negotiators, and asserts that no other loss assessor can legitimately guarantee a higher settlement. It also states that other loss adjusters sometimes turn to it for advice. These are the company's own characterisations of its position rather than independently verified findings.