Claims
Escape of Water
Escape of Water Escape of water may not always be immediately visible and may only become apparent when you notice damage to
December 6, 2021
Mc Carthy Loss Assessors is Oisin Mc Carthy. He holds an Honours degree in Building Surveying and is a Certified Insurance Practitioner — so the person who surveys your damage is the same person who prepares the claim, argues it with the insurer’s loss adjuster and stays on it until it settles. No call centre, no handing your file to somebody else.
Based at Irish Grange, Carlingford, Co. Louth. Regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and a member of the Insurance Institute of Ireland and the National Guild of Master Craftsmen.
A Loss Assessor acts solely for the policyholder in the preparation, submission and negotiation of a claim, to ensure you receive your full entitlement under your policy — while removing the stress and minimising your involvement in the claim process.
A Loss Adjuster is a claims professional, appointed by the insurance company, to assess the loss or damage to your property and to quantify the amount of compensation to be paid. They are appointed by your insurer, and they act in your insurer’s interest — not yours.
Water damage, fire damage, accidental damage, malicious damage, smoke damage, third party loss, subsidence, impact damage, oil leak, flood damage, storm damage, burglary and theft, chimney fire. All of these should be covered by your insurance policy.
Also handled: escape of water, impact damage, accidental damage and burglary, theft and malicious damage.
Most claims are not refused outright — they are settled short. The difference is usually whether the full extent of the damage was surveyed and evidenced before the insurer’s adjuster put a figure on it.
An Honours degree in Building Surveying means your damage is assessed properly — structure, hidden damage and true reinstatement cost — rather than estimated from a photograph.
Regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland to act as a Loss Assessor under the EU (Insurance Distribution) Regulations 2018, with professional indemnity cover and a published complaints procedure.
No charge for the initial consultation. Our standard fee is 10% + V.A.T. of the settlement agreed on your claim, with a minimum fee explained to you before any work begins.
What each claim involves, where insurers push back, and what you are actually entitled to. Wherever your property is, the process is the same.
Wind-lifted slates, ridge tiles and the water that follows them in. Insurers often argue wear and tear. We document the storm event, survey the full extent — including the roof space — and claim for proper reinstatement rather than a patch.
A burst pipe or a slow radiator leak is rarely just the wet patch on the ceiling. Floors, insulation and structure hold water for weeks. We trace the full extent before the adjuster prices the part you can see.
Smoke contamination, the water used to put the fire out and alternative accommodation while you’re out of the property are all claimable — and routinely missing from a first offer. We itemise the whole loss.
Heating oil soaks into soil and spreads under buildings long before anyone notices the smell. Remediation is specialist, expensive and frequently disputed. We manage the claim from testing through to clean-up.
We meet you at the property and survey the damage. No charge, no obligation — and if a claim isn’t worth making, we’ll tell you.
We review your policy documentation to confirm exactly what is covered, and what you are entitled to, before anything is submitted.
We notify your insurer and compile the full claim — schedules, photographs and costings — then liaise with the Loss Adjuster they appoint.
We negotiate on your behalf through to settlement, keeping you informed at every stage and your involvement to a minimum.
We are on site fastest across Louth (Dundalk, Drogheda, Ardee, Blackrock, Termonfeckin, Omeath), Meath (Navan, Ashbourne, Trim, Kells, Dunboyne, Ratoath), Monaghan (Carrickmacross, Castleblayney, Clones), Cavan (Cavan Town, Bailieborough, Virginia), and the Dublin commuter belt — Dublin, Swords, Blanchardstown and Kildare.
Outside those counties? We still want to hear from you. Fire, flood, oil and commercial claims are worth a call wherever the property is — on those the survey and the policy argument matter far more than the drive, and we travel for them.
Straight answers on fees, timing and what a loss assessor actually does. Still not sure? Call 086 044 0926 or email info@mcla.ie.
Your insurance company appoints a Loss Adjuster to handle the claim on their behalf. A Loss Assessor is appointed by you, the policyholder, and acts solely for you — surveying the damage, preparing and submitting the claim, and negotiating the settlement you are entitled to under your policy. It is the difference between being represented and not.
A Loss Adjuster is a claims professional, appointed by the insurance company, to assess the loss or damage to your property and to quantify the amount of compensation to be paid. A Loss Assessor is appointed and paid by the policyholder and acts solely in your interest. In Ireland, loss assessors are regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland under the European Union (Insurance Distribution) Regulations 2018.
We do not charge for the initial consultation. Our standard fee is 10% + V.A.T. of the settlement amount agreed in respect of your claim, with a minimum fee which can vary depending on factors that will be discussed with you at the initial consultation. The fee is agreed with you before any work begins.
We meet you at the property and survey the damage. We review your policy documentation to confirm what is covered, notify your insurer, and liaise with the Loss Adjuster they appoint. We compile and submit the full claim — schedules, photographs and costings — and negotiate on your behalf through to settlement. You are kept informed at every stage and your involvement is kept to a minimum.
Straight away. If you think you have suffered a loss and that it may be covered by your insurance policy, contact a Loss Assessor at your earliest opportunity — ideally before you speak to your insurer. The first survey and the first conversation with the adjuster set the tone for the whole claim.
We are based in Carlingford, Co. Louth and we are on site fastest across Louth, Meath, Monaghan, Cavan and the north-east — Dundalk, Drogheda, Navan, Ashbourne, Carrickmacross, Cavan Town — as well as Dublin and Kildare. We also handle claims elsewhere in Ireland, particularly larger domestic and commercial claims. If your property is outside the north-east, call us and we will tell you honestly whether we are the right people for it.
Water damage, fire damage, accidental damage, malicious damage, smoke damage, third party loss, subsidence, impact damage, oil leak, flood damage, storm damage, burglary and theft, and chimney fire. All of these should be covered by your insurance policy — and if you are not sure whether yours covers a particular loss, that is exactly what the free consultation is for.
— G Clarke, client
Escape of Water Escape of water may not always be immediately visible and may only become apparent when you notice damage to
Storm Damage Ireland’s weather is unpredictable. We are now experiencing storms on a regular basis. Strong winds and heavy rains have the
Fire & Smoke Damage A fire in your home or property is a traumatic and stressful experience. No matter how large or
Burglary, Theft & Malicious Damage While all these perils are different, they have one thing in common – no person wants themselves
Escape of Oil An escape of oil can often go undetected for a prolonged period of time. It can quickly soak into
Impact Damage It happens when you least expect it – Impact Damage! But what is it? It is damage caused to your