Practice leader, Claims
With a career in consulting, law, and multiple facets of the insurance industry spanning over 16 years, Joe brings a technical claims expertise to Bellrock focused on customers and good faith dealings with insurers and service providers.
A claim filed by Bellrock with your own insurer for a loss or damage you have directly experienced.
First party claims often involve scenarios where a policyholder has experienced loss or damage to property owned by them or that they are liable to insure. Coverage often extends to business interruption losses flowing from a loss to insured property.
We have expertise advising and advocating across the following policy types:
A claim brought against you by a third-party such as a customer or supplier.
Third-party claims often involve scenarios where a liability is asserted against a policyholder by a third party who has sustained loss or damage to person or property. Typical claims include allegations of negligence or breach of contract. Coverage can also extend to sums outlaid by a policyholder to mitigate the potential for a third-party claim to arise.
We have expertise advising and advocating across the following policy types:
A claim filed by Bellrock with your own Cyber Liability insurer.
Cyber claims often involve scenarios where there has been an actual or suspected data breach. A data breach typically occurs where personal information is accessed, disclosed without authorisation, or is lost. A breach can occur through a policyholder’s own acts or errors, or through malicious actors such as hackers.
A cyber liability insurance policy typically covers a policyholder’s own first party costs in addressing and investigating an actual or suspected breach including IT forensics, public relations, and legal costs for mandatory reporting to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). Cyber coverage also extends to business interruption losses following a breach and provides coverage for claims from third parties impacted by a breach.
Claims generally fall into two main categories - First Party Claims (Property and Own Loss) & Third-Party Legal Liability. Cyber Liability Insurance is a special category of insurance which typically provides first party and third-party coverage. Bellrock also assists policyholders and insurers with recoveries against third parties for insured and uninsured losses.
| Type of claim | Industry sector | Policy triggered | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Third party claims | Construction Professionals | Professional indemnity | $36M | Bellrock successfully obtained a confirmation of indemnity from insurers for a large engineering firm involved in a complex professional services claim surrounding solar farms including an associated securities claim involving market disclosures surrounding the same solar farms. |
| Third party claims | Constructions Professionals | Single Project Professional Indemnity | $8.2M | Bellrock negotiated the resolution of design defect claims against joint venture participants under a single project professional indemnity policy involving a large bridge infrastructure project. |
| Third party claims | Manufacturing | Director and Officers Liability Insurance | $4.7M | Bellrock acted for the directors of a major wholesale textile manufacturer wherein one of the entities that employed over 1000 staff was placed into administration. Issues arose in the context of redundancies in the wake of complex structuring. Claims were brought by the liquidator against the directors, and ASIC also brought proceedings. Bellrock was engaged to monitor, review, and coordinate counsel in defence of the claims and to press our client’s rights under the policy. |
| Third party claims | Crane Manufacturer and Supplier | Contractor’s Plant & Equipment, Public & Products Liability | $3.3M | Bellrock acted in tandem with insurers in the defence and successful negotiated a settlement of a large scale multi-million-dollar crane collapse in QLD. |
| First party claim | Property | Industrial Special Risk (ISR) Insurance | $2.2M | Bellrock acted for a large property owner with commercial assets exceeding $300M. Bellrock has also assisted this client in the successful settlement and recoupment of legal costs from insurers in respect of a claim, the value of the fees and settlement sum is in excess of $7.2M. |
| Third party claims | Financial Services | Public & Products Liability, Investment Managers’ Insurance | $1.6M | An investment fund manager with sawmill operations notified Bellrock of a SafeWork investigation following a fatality on site during the loading/unloading of timber. The public liability policy was triggered in respect of SafeWork expenses including legal costs, and the Investment Managers Insurance Policy was also engaged in respect of cover for “OH&S Defence Costs” and “Pecuniary Penalties”. |
| First party claim | Pharmacy | Industrial Special Risk (ISR) Insurance | $1.2M | Bellrock assisted a large pharmacist chain that sustained substantial property damage to one of their stores due to arson. Through the implementation of Bellrock panel claims preparers, payments made were in excess of $1.2M in respect of material damage and business interruption. |
| First party claim | Retail | Industrial Special Risk (ISR) Insurance | $1M | Bellrock advised a large retail store that was significantly impacted due to the Lismore Flooding Event in February 2022. Bellrock, via close collaboration with insurers were able to achieve payment of the policy limit of $1M within 38 days of notification. The expedited settlement of this matter enabled the client to re-locate and re-establish the business swiftly. Bellrock strongly believe in tripartite relationships between broker, insurer, and client. This claim involved flying to the impacted area and meeting with the client directly, not to assess the claim but to assist with reopening and the ongoing challenges that the client was experiencing. |
| First party claim | Strata | Industrial Special Risk (ISR) Insurance | $900K | Bellrock assisted strata owners with a property damage claim as a result of a sprinkler head being damaged by tenants causing flooding within two residential levels and commercial tenancies. This was a threefold event. Property damage to common property, damage to lot owners’ property and damage to commercial tenancy. Bellrock managed the strata component of the claim while assisting the building manager and the other parties affected by the loss, with the help of the appointed assessor. |
| First party claim | Childcare | Industrial Special Risk (ISR) Insurance | $750K | Bellrock handled a water ingress claim for a childcare centre after a significant storm event. Thereafter the childcare centre became contaminated with mould and required significant remediation works to decontaminate the premises and reinstate the damaged property. |
“We can’t thank Bellrock enough for the incredible support, making everything straightforward & stress-free. Bellrock's guidance & continuous communication throughout the entire claim process gave us confidence & peace of mind. Highly recommend for anyone seeking reliable, professional insurance support. ”
Jessica Dowling
PAYCE
“From day one, the claims team is not only super responsive but has also consistently gone above and beyond to get the best possible results for us. It's truly appreciated how Bellrock always dig deep and fight for our corner.”
Jessica Smith
Asset, Safety and QA Lead
“The best professional service I have received in the last 10 Years by a mile.”
Bruce Bryant
CEO
Bellrock is your partner & advocate throughout the entire claims process. In the event of a claim our Team is mobilised to ensure claims are paid expeditiously and to the full extent of entitlement under the policy.
General Claims GuideAcknowledged as industry thought leaders, Bellrock’s Team of Advisors are well known and respected across the industry. Our passion for delivering superior risk advisory and advocacy to our clients is a cornerstone of our offering.
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