Communique July 2008
Reviewed June 2009 Rewritten Feb 2016When a claim is notified, Aon co-ordinates the correspondence between the member, the claims committee, lawyers and the insurers. Sometimes the initial responses clear up issues and eventually the claim fades. Sometimes, input by the Claims Committee ahead of a claim means that action by a member averts a claim.There are some who say they have never had to notify a claim and feel they are smart and professional enough to avoid them. But members who have had to manage a claim can vouch that the experience is a stressful one, and eats away both resources and psyche.Experience indicates that member firms are likely to have about a “1 in 6” chance of having to notify a circumstance in any one year. Those notifications may or may not actually signal a claim, but it is better for all if a notification is made sooner rather than later, by which time the dispute may have escalated.Members need to take heed of the threat of a claim against them. They are in the best position to provide the information necessary to deal with the issues and are required to do so as part of their obligations under the PI cover. That may be time-consuming, unproductive, and cause stress. It will require the allocation of appropriate resources, whether that be personal and/or financial.NZACS Claims Directors will assist and have the experience of many other claims to offer. They provide the listening ear of a fellow architect to talk things through, they may promote a particular course of action, draft suggested written responses, suggest some actions that may assist, and explain any processes that are unclear. They are there as your resource and to assist the legal and insurance process.