What to do in the event of a claim
Coleman Marine are pleased to offer the following general advice should you have an accident or damage your vessel and ultimately make a claim on your insurance policy. However, all losses are settled on the basis of the policy contract between you and your Insurer and this should be used as a guideline only.
Damage to your vessel
In the event of loss or damage to your vessel, the incident should be reported to Coleman Marine as soon as possible. This can be either by telephone +44 (0)1202 647463, fax back the yacht & motoryacht claim form on +44 (0)1202 647422, letter, or e-mail.
- Your claim form should be completed as fully as possible and returned without delay with a detailed estimate for repairs/replacement if available.
- Do not delay returning the claim form whilst awaiting the estimates as the claim can be registered with your insurer in the meantime. However an estimate should be provided as soon as possible.
- If the costs are such that Insurers appoint a Surveyor to inspect the damage and investigate the loss, a Surveyor will contact you directly.
- When your insurers have considered the claim form, estimates, and if applicable, the Surveyor's report, they will advise us as to what happens next and we will update you without delay.
- Under no circumstances should you go ahead or sanction repairs to the damage to your vessel without your Insurer's approval as this may prejudice your rights to payment under the policy.
- Insurers may request a second estimate. Once they have approved the estimates, you may give the repairers / suppliers instructions to proceed.
- When repairs have been completed to your satisfaction the receipted invoice should be submitted to us.
- All invoices should be issued in the name of the owner / policy holder, not to Coleman Marine or Insurers.
Additional action that may be required:-
Minimising the loss
- If damage has left the vessel vulnerable in any way you must take immediate steps to safeguard your property.
- You must therefore act as if uninsured to minimise the loss. Any additional loss caused by lack of action will generally not be covered.
- Insurers will require an invoice for immediate first aid works carried out to safeguard the vessel, including lift out cost, towing, wash down or steps to safeguard the vessel engines if waterlogged etc.
Theft
- Theft, break-ins or malicious damage must be reported promptly to the police and the crime number noted. Outside of the UK, where a crime number may not be available, a copy of the Police Report will be required.
- Insurance policies generally cover theft of the craft or, following forcible entry or exit, removal or theft of gear or equipment from within a vessel.
- For the claim to be valid you, the owner, must show that you have exercised due diligence in making your craft secure (see Minimising the loss). Basic precautions against theft should be taken, for instance loose gear in the cockpit which can be easily removed may not be covered.
- If you wish to make a claim for personal effects, check your policy wording and schedule. If you have not declared items of value, many insurers will not cover these.
Liability
- If an incident involves another person/craft, do NOT admit liability or give the impression of accepting responsibility. Do NOT make any offer of payment.
- If you hold a third party liable for an incident, in order to preserve your position, you should write to the third party immediately holding them liable for all costs and explain in the correspondence why you hold them responsible.
- If a third party holds you liable for an incident, any correspondence received should be passed to us immediately. Although you may acknowledge this correspondence, you should not respond.
- Copies of all correspondence should be provided for Insurers via Coleman Marine as soon as possible and photographs of the damage sustained are always helpful.
The Surveyor
- If a Surveyor is appointed he or she represents the Insurer's interests only.
- The Surveyor will investigate and report with regard to the nature, cause and extent of the loss.
- Although a Surveyor will, if necessary, help put you in touch with boatyards, repairers or suppliers to obtain estimates, a Surveyor is not able to instruct work on your behalf.
Onus of Proof
The onus of proof is on you to show that the damage or loss sustained is caused by a risk covered under the terms of the policy.
As such, there is a responsibility on you to establish the cause of a loss.
You are responsible for making all arrangements for recovery of, or repairs to the vessel along with paying the companies concerned. Only you can give instructions to repairers, boatyards, etc for work to be done.
