Insurance complaint what should I do?

Anon971215

I was involved in a motor accident in October 2021. I was rear ended and suffered some injuries that meant I had to miss work for 6 weeks. 

Initially my insurer seemed to be on top of the situation. They handled the medical report and vehicle repairs fairly quickly. However since then my claim has not really progressed at all despite their constant assurance that things have been getting done and blaming the other-sides insurer for causing the delays.

I noticed a lot of what they had said to me contradicted themselves and the timelines of documents being sent just didn’t add up. So I asked to make a formal complaint in May 2022. However, I have recently found out that this was ignored and no complaint process was actually started as a result.

After more than 2 years of back and forth I finally lost it in January 2024 and threatened to go to the ombudsman, at which point they offered £100 for the delay and have suddenly started handling my case. I refused this offer on the grounds that I do not feel £100 makes up for this length of delay or being lied to and repeatedly ignored. They informed me that I cannot go to the ombudsman as my complaint has been open less than 6 months but they have doubled the offer to £200. I still think the ombudsman might be better at handling this issue but I am not sure it’s worth the inconvenience. 

Do I still have the right to go to the ombudsman as I asked them to open a complaint well over a year ago but was ignored?

Does anyone in the insurance industry or with experience of similar situations have any helpful advice?

DullGreyGuy

Do you have your dates right? We are now Feb 2024 and you said you threatened the ombudsman in Jan 2023, ie 13 months ago?

The problem with the ombudsman if there is a 6 month time limit after the date a company issues a final response to your complaint. As another poster here has found out, if you continue to try and argue it post the final response you are just eroding your time to go to the ombudsman. In their case they left it to be 10 months but the ombudsman has now rejected the complaint as being too late. 

Your insurers similarly wouldn't normally go anywhere near a medical report for injuries you have suffered. Your own insurance only covers vehicle damage to you and your car, injury, loss of earnings etc are all uninsured losses. If you have Legal Expenses insurance then they should appoint an appropriate legal representative to present your case for UL recovery and it is those that would commission the medical report etc. 

It sounds almost as if you are dealing with an accident management company rather than your insurers who typically will do things in house, including credit hire, and then pass the case off to a law firm to finish off the PI claim. 

Assuming your dates are correct the bigger concern that the ombudsman will be the 3 year law of limitations meaning if your claim is neither settled nor litigated by October then your case is statute barred. There should be comfortable time between now and then to deal with matters but if there is a history of delays it could drift into a statute barred situation. 

Anon971215

You’re right I meant January 2024. I have amended the original post. My complaint has technically only just been opened despite me asking for a formal complaint to be made in May 2022 so I have plenty of time to go to the ombudsman. 

My insurance has an associated “law company” that handled the medical and legal parts of the claim. They are distinct offices but clearly operate under the same corporate umbrella. The law aspect of the business has been the cause of the delays and had told me certain documents had been completed and sent to the other-sides insurance when they hadn’t been or incorrect documents missing important medical information had been sent by accident.

My gut feeling is that they are aware they have handled my case very poorly and are hoping I will be easily pacified. Do you have any view on how these sorts of complaints (long delays, lack of communication, mishandled documents and lying) are usually resolved by the ombudsman?

Since January they actually seem to be far more responsive and actually seem to be trying to get this resolved in court within the next few months but after years of being ignored I feel like it’s just too little and too late.

DullGreyGuy

If its the law firm thats the cause of the problem you'd typically follow the complaints process of the law firm, there should be a Complaints Partner or equivalent, and then take the matter to the Legal Ombudsman rather than to the insurance company and the Financial Ombudsman... or at least it was the case in my claims days.

May be easier if you name names too if you're willing. 

Anon971215

Yes I think you’re right, my complaint was referred to their Quality assurance team when I declined an initial offer of £100. The quality assurance team then increased the offer to £200 but I have no idea if that’s fair compensation for this kind of complaint?

SiliconChip

georgina11 said:

Has anybody got any knowledge of fraudulent claims.

Please start your own thread rather than hijacking another one.

georgina11

SiliconChip said:

georgina11 said:

Has anybody got any knowledge of fraudulent claims.

Please start your own thread rather than hijacking another one.

I'm new to this and i did not mean to hijack a post , your rude