Insurance
claims
Our comprehensive insurance covers
all the risks that affect the Council.
The Council have insurances placed with external insurance
providers, and also provide self insured cover for risks such as
Schools, Property and Motor.
All claims made against the Council are administered by the
Councils Insurance Section and investigated and handled by the
Council's external claims handlers.
All claims should be directed to:
Insurance Section
2nd Floor West
Newham Dockside
1000 Dockside Road
London
E16 2QU
Main Insurance
Contacts
Ashley Easen - Corporate Risk Manager
All risk and insurance enquiries - Direct Dial 020 3373
9815
Lynda Baxter - Claims and Insurance Manager
Claims and General Insurance Information - Direct Dial 020
3373 4505
Errol Clarke -Insurance Officer
Transport, Leasehold and Commercial Enquiries - Direct Dial
020 3373 9835
James Rodbourne - Insurance Officer
Employers, Housing and Personal Injury claims - Direct Dial
020 3373 9812
How to make a
claim
If an incident occurs where you suffer loss or damage to your
possessions, or you have suffered an injury in which you feel that
the Council is responsible, you may be able to make a claim against
the Council. It is essential in any claim made that you provide
evidence of why you consider the Council to be responsible for your
loss or injury.
All claims are considered on the circumstances of the incident and
whether any legal liability will attach to the Council due to the
negligent actions of the Council or its employees. In a
majority of claims received by the Council no legal liability is
attached to the council and no financial settlements are
made. Accidents can occur due to reasons outside the
Council's control.
If an accident occurs due to the actions of Council contractors or
Public Utility companies, for which they would be legally liable,
the claim will be re-directed to them as they are responsible for
their own insurance provisions.
Highway and footway
accidents
The Council is responsible for maintaining the public highway, with
the exception of Trunk Roads, responsibility for which rests with
Transport for London. Claimants can write direct to the Insurance
Section to log a claim, giving full details of the incident and
documentary or photographic evidence of any loss. Alternatively
they can complete the Highways Accident form and return it to the
Highway Transport and Parking service.
All claims submitted will be investigated and assessed by the
Council's external Claims handlers, Gallagher Bassett, who can be
contacted on 020 7208 8500.
Transport
Claims
The Council operates a fleet of motor vehicles for a number of
services including cleansing, refuse and passenger transport. If a
council vehicle has been involved in an incident which has caused
loss or damage to your property, you should inform the Fleet
Management team, based at Folkestone Road Depot on 020 3373
8021. Alternatively you or your representatives should
write direct to the Insurance Section.
Housing incident
Claims
Newham Council Housing Services administer the council housing
stock and is responsible for all tenant and leasehold services.
Full details of the services provided can be accessed at the
Housing Services
area of the website.
Contents
Insurance
The council provides contents insurance for tenants which can be
purchased with the rent account. The cost is dependant on the
amount of contents covered and if you are aged over 60. Cover is
provided on a new for old policy.
It is recommended that contents insurance should be purchased to
provide cover for theft of contents, water ingress from other
properties and fire damage. Application form and further details
can be obtained from the Contents Insurance page.
Tenant claims
Damage to tenant's possessions can occur through the negligence of
other tenants. The council cannot be legally held liable for the
actions of their tenants. These claims would be covered by Contents
Cover if purchased, but if a tenant makes claim for negligence
against the council it is unlikely to succeed.
If a tenant is not covered by their own contents insurance, and an
incident occurs that causes damage or loss to property, in some
circumstances a claim can be made against the council. It must be
shown that the council or its employees were directly responsible
for the damage sustained.
All claimants should complete the attached form and return it to
the correct department. Where the council is found to be liable
for loss or damage, any financial settlement of a claim will be
based on the age and condition of the items, including an
element of deduction for 'wear and tear'. The council is legally
liable to put the claimant back to the position prior to the
incident occurring. Financial settlements will not be based on
an 'old for new' basis, or enable a tenant to benefit from a
claim.
Leaseholder
Claims
Leaseholders are covered by buildings insurance which is placed
with Aspen Insurance Company. It is a requirement of the lease that
the council arranges the Insurance for Leaseholders, the cost of
which is paid for within the Service Charge.
Claims are handled by Lucas Associates which offers a 24 hour
claims line, on 0800 368 22 22. A copy of the
building policy is sent to all leaseholders on an annual basis
during April. This should be retained by the leaseholder as it
includes full details of what cover the policy provides and details
of how to make a claim.
How The
Council Collects And Processes Your Personal
Information
Data Protection Information
The Data Controller is the London Borough of Newham and we are
responsible for the collection and processing of your personal
information. Processing includes the organisation, retrieval,
consultation, use and deletion or destruction of information and
its disclosure to other agencies. The information you provide will
be processed mainly in connection with the administration of
Insurance claims.
Your personal information may however, be processed by other
council services where appropriate to facilitate the provision of
services in respect of any of the council's activities including
(but not limited to) benefits, to verify data accuracy, housing,
environmental health and care services. There may be a need to
share with external partners and organisations e.g. health and
other local authorities or information may be used in the
prevention and detection of fraud and crime. A full list of what
information we control and process and for what purposes is set out
in the council's data protection notifications filed annually with
the Information Commissioner.
All information collected will be processed and held securely under
the principles of the Data Protection Act 1998. For further
information on data protection, the council's use of information
sharing, please contact the Information Governance Team on 020 8430
3737 or
information.governance@newham.gov.uk.