A demand letter, a solicitor's inquiry, or an angry phone call from a client – a claim never arrives at a good moment. But it isn't a verdict: liability insurance exists precisely for this situation, and the outcome depends heavily on calm, well-ordered steps in the first few days. Here is that sequence.
- 1. Document: the scene, photos, timings, witnesses, and the exact content of the claim.
- 2. Report it: notify your insurer's claims line or online portal – within the deadline.
- 3. Do not admit liability or promise payment before the insurer is involved.
Step one: record everything you can
While the situation is still fresh, gather: photos and video of the damage and its surroundings, documents from your own work (contract, work log, handover record, invoices), the contact details of everyone involved, witness details, and the written content of the claim – who is claiming what, and how much. If there is an ongoing hazard (water ingress, an electrical fault), loss mitigation – preventing further damage – is an immediate task, and typically an expectation too. The full list is in the claim documentation checklist.
Step two: notification – on the insurer's line
It is the policyholder – that is, your business – who reports the injured party's claim to the insurer: notification goes through the insurer's claims line or its online claim-reporting portal, using the contact details on your policy and the insurer's website. The policy terms also set a notification deadline – so don't wait around hoping “the matter will just fade away”: late notification can in itself be grounds for rejection (see common reasons for rejection). For the notification process in detail, see the injured party's claim and how it is reported.
What not to do: the two classic mistakes
The first: an admission of liability or a promise of payment on the spot, before the insurer is involved – a well-meant “of course, I'll sort it out” can complicate claims handling, and the policy terms typically prohibit it anyway. Empathy is not admission: helping and showing understanding is fine, even necessary – but leave the question of liability to the process. The second: staying silent – failing to report, or putting it off in the hope the matter resolves itself. It won't; but the deadlines keep running.
And after that?
Once notified, the insurer's claims handling takes over: an inspection, requests for documents, and an assessment of liability and amount (see how claims handling works). It's worth responding to any request for additional documents quickly and completely (see smart handling of document requests). And if the case gets stuck or becomes disputed – whether over how the claim is assessed or over the process itself – that's where I step in: as your broker, I help you with the insurer, where I can (see the article on stuck cases).
Why this particular order?
There's a logic behind this order. Documentation comes first because information perishes: the scene changes, memories fade, witnesses become hard to reach – what you capture in the first hours can't be replaced later. Notification comes second because every further step relies on the formal framework of an open claim file: it keeps you within the deadline, gives you a case number, and puts the insurer's expertise behind the case. The ban on statements is a hard rule because the emotional pressure of the first few days – an angry claimant, your own sense of guilt – makes for poor advice: whatever you say in the heat of the moment can follow the case for months. A calm sequence, early notification, minimal statements – these three keep even the worst day on track.
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