We treat every client equal. Everybody, big or small, will receive the same level of services.
We have an in-house team of claims professionals, who are able to deal with the claims on its merits. This is rendering a better control over claims and avoids unnecessary cost exposures to third parties. We are not outsourcing claims work, however, we are using our worldwide network of correspondents, surveyors, lawyers or other experts in dealing with local emergencies, with collecting evidence, with law issues and all other matters for which we require specific knowledge.
Thinking as shipping people, we create solutions where needed. We fully realize that our clients are Shipowners, Charterers, Commodity Traders, Industrial Companies, Port & Terminal Operators and Freight Forwarders. We are not teachers in insurance law. We are professionals with knowledge and experience in all aspects of the shipping community. Our presence is not restricted to the actual handling of claims. Especially when there are no claims pending we would like to communicate with our clients about prevention matters, about certain Charter Party, Bills of Lading clauses or other contracts that might be improved or about any other matter that could lead to a better control and better results.
It is crucial that we take an active and leading role in the handling of a claim. Solution driven as we are, we never take anything for granted and keep investigating till we can unravel the case.
Thinking of the problem that exists, we are primarily focussed on creating a solution, however, we also have to realize that the relationship with our clients is based on a contract of insurance. The policy is covering liabilities relating to the operation of the insured vessel during the period of insurance. It is fair to say that cover issues may appear.
Our approach to ‘claims on the edge’ is simple. We are obliged to say something about the cover, however, we wish to continue with our claim handling support and as long as we can deal with the matter by our own staff it will be free of charge. The same attitude applies to claims below the deductible. In regard to legal defence claims it may happen that we and our clients have different opinions. We want the case to be settled or aborted, but our client wants to pursue the matter further and inevitably make further costs. In such cases we will ask the client to pay the further costs and if the client proves himself right by winning his case notwithstanding, we will reimburse the costs.
Communication is crucial and we realize that lack of communication may lead to problems rather than solutions. It is therefore important that we act immediately and make firm agreements. We therefore conduct ‘deadline communication’ instead of ‘excuse communication’.
Sherlock Holmes Approach
Following the Sherlock Holmes Approach the basics are as follows:
- Managing the action instead of reacting to others – control instead of being controlled
- Asking questions instead of answering questions
- Managing and controlling lawyers, surveyors and correspondents – use them as servants and not as contractors
- Adopting the unusual approach – science of deduction – reasoning backward
- Conduct deadline communication and demand deadline communication
- Don’t take anything for granted – continue investigating and questioning – don’t theorize before having the evidence
- Reduce cost/liability exposures through taking the right decision at the right time – settle if liability cannot be avoided – fight if liability can be resisted – unravel the case as quickly as possible
