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WELCOME
To Fitzgeralds Chartered Loss Adjusters
We are property claims specialists dealing in small to significant insurance property losses and third party losses where your property or home has been damaged by a negligent third party.
We are the only Chartered Loss Adjusting firm offering a claims service to Policyholders in the Cork area. The service and expertise we offer is unrivalled but at the same time we are extremely competitive in terms of our fee scale. Our objective always is that our clients are compensated fully for their loss and that you will not be out of pocket
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What We Do
We will assess every aspect of your damaged property, analyse your insurance policy, liaise with the Insurance Company Loss Adjuster and we can offer you advice in terms of contractors to use to re-instate / repair the damage.
Client Testimonials
“We had significant water damage in 2015 and we engaged Alan FitzGerald to present our insurance claim on our behalf. He provided a superb service and we extremely were pleased with the outcome and he helped to get us back up running as quickly as possible. We would have no hesitation in recommending him in a similar situation.”
John Corcoran, Insurance Officer, Nemo Rangers
Latest News
Value At Risk (VAR) – How Recent Inflationary Factors Can Significantly Impact Sum Insured Levels Under Commercial Policies
We are all aware of current construction inflationary factors and the worry must be that existing sums insured will be “challenged” in the event of a loss or claim. The issue will be compounded if the sum insured is inadequate which is quite likely in the context of “rolling renewals” where the original sum insured has become out of date and has failed to reflect year-on-year inflation. In some cases, there is little or no explanation for the origin of the sum insured other than it may have been based on the market value or there may have been a change of management company etc.
Landlord Tenant Dispute (Technical Bulletin)
As demonstrated during the various Court Hearings associated with the Covid-19 business interruption claims, Courts or dispute resolution forums in different countries or jurisdictions are often influenced by a decision elsewhere. In this respect I came across a case in “Insurance News.com” which is an Australian publication, which I thought was very interesting in the context of both Policy Liability and Legal Liability and bearing in mind that Policy wordings are not dissimilar from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and that these cases can have persuasive influence on the Courts or indeed Ombudsman in another jurisdiction….
The Dangers of Chargers, Batteries & Cables
Cork local media reported on a significant house fire in December 2021 when an electric golf trolley “burst” into flames after making a “hissing and cracking” noise. The trolley was being charged in a bedroom and the occupant noticed the battery was getting hot and then a “ flame bursting from it”. He threw it out but the fire had already spread and there was extensive damage to the house.
We have dealt with a number of fires involving batteries and chargers or laptops placed on beds etc.
London Fire Brigade estimate they attend on average 24 fires each week that have been started by chargers, batteries and cables.
An issue would appear to be the lithium-ion battery which is found in electrical devices from scooters to e-cigarettes, phones, laptops and cameras. These batteries can present a fire risk when overcharged, short circuited or exposed to water.
Always use the charger that came with your phone, tablet or mobile device.
You should;
Avoid storing, using or charging batteries at very high or low temperatures.
Protect batteries from being damaged or exposed to water.
Don’t leave items continuously on charge after the charge cycle is complete. For example it is best not to leave your phone plugged in overnight.
Never cover chargers or charging devices and that includes using your laptop power lead in bed.
Never leave items such as phones or laptops charging on your bed or couch.
Dublin Fire Brigade reported recently that they had two “significant fires” associated with e-scooters or e-bikes. Fire Officers are warning owners of e-scooters not to charge them indoors. Cork Fire Brigade have also advised people not to charge them overnight inside the house or when people are sleeping.
London Transport Authorities have apparently banned e-scooters in public transport after one of them caught fire on a tube and emitted toxic smoke suspected to be from a defective lithium-ion battery.
Dublin City Council reported concerns with any device using lithium-ion technology and over “spontaneous fires particularly whilst charging”. They stated that whilst e-scooters are “generally safe” they present a fire risk if they are subject to abuse such as over-charging . They are particularly concerned with the storage of e-scooters and e-bicycles and “recommend that these are charged outside preferably, but certainly not in living areas, hallways or escape routes”.
Lithium-ion batteries usually contain a metal coil and flammable lithium-ion fluid. Tiny metal fragments float in the liquid. The contents of the battery are under pressure so if the battery is punctured or damaged lithium fluid can react vigorously with water or air generating intense heat and sometimes producing a fire.
This video gives some idea as to how quickly a fire develops in an e-scooter and how intensely it burns once developed.”