We handle several claims per annum arising from impact damage schemes for insurers, which often include claims from the Highways Agency, their Area Maintenance Contractors and Local Authorities. 

On behalf of the liability insurers of a company supplying cement we were appointed to investigate an incident which resulted in cement dust contamination to several vehicles at car showrooms close to Swansea Docks.  Enquiries revealed that a silo had discharged cement into the atmosphere, which had been carried inland by winds and had fallen onto new and used vehicles.   

The issue of liability did not look promising but then in depth enquiries revealed that hours beforehand the same vehicles had been contaminated by iron filings as a result of the unloading of hot steel briquettes, which had been “exploding” as they cooled dockside. 

In Loss Adjusting you never know what the next day will bring……..

One afternoon we had a new instruction to attend site where a coach was reported to have rolled backwards down Muswell Hill, north London and to have careered off road impacting a block of flats.  The photograph below dramatically illustrates what was found, not the best piece of parking!





The story of what had happened was remarkable.   The engine had cut out at the top of Muswell Hill due to being starved of fuel: the driver flagged down a passing police car and suggested that if he could get the coach on the level, he could probably get the engine started.   The plan involved the police car driving down Muswell Hill followed by the coach coming backwards.   Anybody who knows the geography of the area will appreciate that he had quite a way to go!  Unfortunately,  he very soon found that the supply of compressed air to the brakes had failed due to the engine not running.   He had to make a decision whether to write off the police car or get off road to try to arrest his momentum. 

Very fortunately nobody was injured but substantial damage was caused to the façade of the block of flats.   One or two residents had a nasty shock.