A one-stop shop for insurance
RSA Insurance, with its local offices in Law Society House, Belfast, has been a market leader in the local government and public sector insurance market for many years. Our strong proposition has been driven by local technical underwriting expertise, dedicated operational service and supported by local claims specialists based in Northern Ireland.
RSA provides tailored and flexible solutions for motor, employers’ and public liability, marine and property insurance, putting it in the prominent position as the only local insurer offering a complete end-to-end insurance solution in the sector. Given the strength and breadth of the proposition, it is RSA Northern Ireland’s aim to become the number one insurer of choice in the Northern Ireland market. RSA Northern Ireland prides itself in having local underwriters with local market knowledge working alongside industry professionals in the public sector to craft and develop their propositions. We also have a fully resourced, in-house local claims handling service, thus effectively providing a one-stop-shop for all insurance requirements.
The options
There are many factors to consider other than purely price. You must, for example, examine the cover you are receiving to see if it is best suited to your needs, ensure the excesses quoted are adequate, and make certain your claims experience is fully assessed. All of these factors are currently being tested within the current Review of Public Administration and changes within councils.
Additionally, you also need to know what factors the insurer will take into account. When it comes to quoting for your cover and premium, to gain an insight into their exposure, an insurer will look at your wage roll and turnover figures, business description, business experience, specific covers required, the types of contracts you manage, and your future plans. However, your claims experience is all-important as it gives the underwriter a picture of how the risk is performing and this, in turn, will give them a flavour of how it is being managed.
Your claims history is a key driver of the cost of your Insurance. That gives you the opportunity to control those costs in relation to how the management of risk is being handled within your organisation. As a consequence, you must ensure that a comprehensive Accident Management System (AMS) is in place, that all your staff are fully aware of how it works and, very importantly, adhere to your policy. Some of the key components of an AMS include:
• having an effective reporting system for all accidents;
• taking immediate action to conduct a thorough investigation of the accident no matter how trivial it is presented or appears at the outset, including detailed statements from the employees and all known witnesses and statements from people in the vicinity of the accident but who indicate they have no knowledge of or didn’t see the incident; and
• recording all factual data e.g. provide a camera to take a photographic record with properly dated photos depicting the accident locus.
Having factual evidence of the circumstances of an accident, particularly in the immediate aftermath is absolutely crucial. Immediate action prevents an employee or witness from forgetting material facts but will also provide essential evidence to support the defence of the case. Having the facts will make it difficult for the injured party or witnesses to change their account of the accident later.
The benefits
If the employee has a genuine claim it can be dealt with in a cost efficient manner at an early stage. It may well be that the facts of the case indicate that the plaintiff is not being truthful about how the accident occurred and therefore offer the possibility of defence to the claim in part or in full.
It may be apparent from the investigations that there is a degree of contributory negligence on the part of an employee due to his or her conduct at the time of the accident or there may be another party at fault and the claim could end up being shared. The investigation itself may lead to a change in your work procedures making sure that an accident which is a non-fault accident on the part of the employee does not re-occur.
Claims experience
Your claims experience over the past three to five years will be used as a factor in your renewal premium. You may well be paying over the odds so ensure you have your records up-to-date and have advised your insurer of all of the up-to-date information. Ask your broker or insurer to review your claims experience and to question any claims where you think reserves should now be closed or where the information is not up to date.
To keep your liabilities to a minimum, you must be proactive in your approach to managing your risk. Your insurer should be very willing to help you especially in areas such as risk management, driver training, rehabilitation for injured employees, health and safety audits, and record management. Pay particular attention to your training records and risk assessments. You must ensure that these documents are signed and dated. Proper management of all these areas can make a big difference both to the general management of your company and, very importantly, the cost of your insurance.
One thing is for sure: claims will happen. That’s why an insurer is there to help deal with claims in an efficient and effective manner and also to mitigate further losses. It is very important to engage with your insurer and broker throughout the year and not just at renewal.
Understanding your options is key. Our flexible approach and in-depth knowledge of this sector has helped us drive the concept of non-conventional insurance programmes. This allows the customer to select an excess, retention level and/or aggregate amount which allows the insurer, broker and customer to build a much closer working relationship. Keep your information up-to-date and build a relationship with your insurer so that they too understand your business and your needs.
For more information, please contact Vincent McIvor ACII, Head of Commercial Lines Sales and Development.
RSA Northern Ireland
Law Society House
90-106 Victoria Street
Belfast, BT1 3GN
Tel: 028 9034 8889
Email: vincent.mcivor@ni.rsagroup.com
Web: www.rsagroupni.com
