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Risk Worldwide Insurance Recovery
91% of all policy holders accept the first offer their insurance company makes. We help the other 9% recover what they are really owed.
When people take out insurance it is to protect them when things go wrong. It would be fair to assume that if disaster strikes, as long as you have done your bit and paid your premiums your insurance company will keep their end of the bargain.
But if that were the case, we wouldn’t be in business.
Who we are and why we are in ChristchurchHow we help property owners like youWhat we will doWhy we do the work we doHow much will it cost?Introducing the TeamRisk Wordwide provides:*Access to our insurance recovery experts. *Customized and expert evaluation of client's insurance policy and carrier's position. *Develop a customized recovery plan that best meets client's goals. *Manage all interactions with insurance company and attend all meetings with our client. *Provide world renowned experts in finding hidden earthquake damage to property. *Use of our proprietary data, pricing system. *Create a full scope and estimate for the insurance company or claims submission. *Gather and organize all documents needed to support claim. *Negotiate resolution with insurance company. Who we are and why we are in ChristchurchWe are Risk Worldwide, an international disaster insurance recovery firm who specialise in helping people recover their full entitlement under their insurance policy. We are trial lawyers, policy experts and earthquake engineers, but most importantly we are here to stay.As specialists in insurance recovery following natural disasters, we know that for the majority of people in Christchurch the after effects of the quake and the delays in recovering insurance monies are stretching people beyond their limits. Many are asking ‘why is it taking so long? and ‘How can I be sure my claim will be honoured so I can get my life back on track? The sad truth is that after every natural disaster, comes a financial one, for everyone. This is why, when it comes to standing up for your rights, you need stamina, determination and most of all, you need people who do this every day. Our purpose is simple: To shift the balance of power from the insurer to the policy holder and to help Cantabrians recover their losses in full. We do this by providing the level of expert knowledge even insurance companies do not have at their disposal, many of our team are ex-insurance executives who have worked for the world’s largest insurers while others were their legal counsel - both know the inner workings of how the industry operates and what you need to know to get the best deal you can. How we help property owners like youYou don’t need to look far to see the extent of the damage in Christchurch, it reminds us every day, on every street corner. And even if an earthquake is something none of us can control, we can control the extent of the financial disaster that follows.If your property sustained damage the chances are one of the first things you did was to contact your insurance company. Sadly, for a large majority of policyholders, this is a time of great distress when they are told the policy they were sold and paid premiums for amazingly doesn’t cover all the losses they sustained. Or that the extent of the damages is far lower than anticipated. Many people don’t know that it is possible to negotiate with their insurance company, and this is where we come in. “It takes no particular skill to sign up for an insurance policy, all you need is a pen. But try unravelling the complexities of what you are entitled to when push comes to shove, and that’s a whole new ball game.” George Keys What we will doStep 1 – Reviewing your policyWe will carry out a detailed review of your policy to ascertain whether you are receiving a fair deal. In many cases, key ambiguities in the wording of your policy provide opportunities for us to increase your payout and negotiate with your insurance company with confidence. We know where there is room to manoeuvre and whether you have a strong case to challenge your offer. That’s because we used to sit on the other side of the fence, so we know exactly where to look. Step 2 – Inspecting the damage with no hidden agenda The sheer size of the challenge facing Christchurch means there simply are not enough specialist assessors to cope with the work load. As a consequence, many assessors are working outside their areas of expertise and when that happens, mistakes get made. Many policy holders have found themselves with reports that severely under estimate the true extent of the damage. Add to this the fact that the insurance assessor is paid by the insurance company who’s desire is to minimise their exposure, and things get complicated. We are different to any other firm offering similar services, in that we have specialist earthquake engineers on our team permanently, because we do not believe you can accurately assess the quantum of damages unless you have that expert knowledge, something local engineers have found to their peril. Our experts are the ones the local engineers call upon for expert advice and we are currently assisting local engineers re-build Christchurch - Right. So where an insurance assessor may recommend a patch and paint, we can tell if the earthquake has undermined the entire sub-structure of the building and when it comes to repairs, the estimates can be worlds apart. And because we work for you, you can be sure when we assess the damages, we have no reason to minimise the estimate - we do our job with no hidden agenda. “Our aim is to negotiate a better deal for policy holders. If we can do this by presenting a comprehensive and robust case, this actually helps the insurance company reach the right conclusion, because they too are stretched for resources and expert opinions.” Katherine Smith Dedrick Step 3 – Assess and prepare your Business Interruption claim We will help you through your Business Interruption Insurance claim with a thorough investigation into every aspect of your business and what you need to get back on your feet. We establish a system for capturing all extra expenses you may incur, including additional professional services fees such as accountants, solicitors and engineers as soon as the loss occurs. We then organise and submit your claims for lost rents or profits or extra expenses no less than monthly so you can keep on top of where things are heading. We will also make a calculation of the losses based on your historical results and forward that along with a request for an advance of that amount in order to minimise and mitigate your losses. Our approach differs from our competitors in that we do not rely on book inventories alone, but conduct a physical inventory immediately as we believe book inventories can be notoriously inaccurate and understated, and this is a time when you cannot afford to rely on guess work. Lastly, if you are experiencing difficulties with your insurance company around the expiry of your BI claim, we are on hand to give our expert opinion on where we think your rights have been compromised because as many Christchurch businesses have found, when it comes to insurance, things aren’t always what they seem. Step 4 - Presenting our case Once we have gathered all our evidence, we are ready to enter into negotiations with your insurance company. As with every natural disaster, the stakes are high. Our detailed policy review, accompanied by a comprehensive specialist earthquake damages report will be presented to your insurance company by our team. Our aim is to negotiate a better deal for you without going to court, because no one needs that stress or associated cost. However in preparing for court by presenting the most comprehensive and water tight case we can, we generally avoid it. Step 5 – The last resort. Taking legal action. In the event that a satisfactory result cannot be achieved through the negotiation process, we will join forces with a local law firm in Christchurch and together we will commence proceedings to recover the losses incurred. This will involve a series of steps through the court process, culminating in either a mediated result between the parties, or a determination by a Court, and we will be with you throughout the journey, putting your needs first at all times. “It’s easy to forget sometimes that insurance is a business, not a charity and businesses need to make profits for shareholders.” Michael Childress. How much will it cost?We work on a ‘no win, no fee’ basis.We remove the financial burden of taking action against your insurance company because you only pay us if we successfully recover more for you than you were originally offered. This means we will always leave you in a better position than when found you, and if we cannot improve your situation, we carry all the costs, no ifs, no buts and no fine print. Sound like a bold move? It is and we know it, because the time spent investigating your claim could be significant, and if it involves engineering experts and legal counsel these costs can mount up. But we are so confident we can better your position, even after specialist costs are recovered, that we put our money where our mouth is. We get paid when you get paid and unlike our competitors, we only charge a percentage of the extra monies we recover over and above the original offer your insurance company made you. You literally have nothing to lose by appointing Risk Worldwide and that’s our guarantee. Why we do the work we doWe have spent the last 30 years helping people recover their losses after a natural disaster and we understand the cycle of grieving that people experience as they work through the challenge of rebuilding their lives. As the months pass, with still no resolution in sight, people’s resolve weakens, the desire to simply ‘get on with it’ heightens and this is when vulnerable policy holders are more likely to accept the offer made to them by the insurance company, no matter what it is. However it is possible to negotiate with your insurance company and if you have the experts sitting beside you, the balance of power can shift in your favour.Introducing The TeamWe have a team of over 100 people who work all around the globe, specialising in natural disaster insurance recovery, and now we work in Christchurch. With over 30 years of experience in representing policyholders, Risk Worldwide is the critical link between you, your insurer and your ability to recover your losses in full. MICHAEL CHILDRESS - PartnerMichael Childress is lawyer and has over 30 years experience in policy holder representation. He specializes in policy negotiation, coverages, exclusions and interpretations, as well as the practices utilized by insurers to delay and/or deny payment. He counsels national and international policyholders in matters that involve risk management, disaster recovery, and insurance coverage and has represented many Fortune 500 companies across the US and globally throughout his career.
Contact Michael on: 021 0620496 mchildress@RiskWorldwide.com  KATHERINE SMITH DEDRICK - PartnerKatherine Smith Dedrick consults with corporate and sophisticated policyholders on risk assessment, insurance coverage and post-disaster recovery of assets. As past legal counsel for insurance companies she handled national and international matters, and gained extensive knowledge of the insurance industry, coverage matters, captives, reinsurance and the resolution and payment of claims. Now a plaintiff insurance lawyer, she specializes in advising policyholders on best methods and strategies to resolve claims with insurance companies, and has handled well in excess of 300 insurance policy cases in her career.
Contact Katherine on: 021 2620036 kdedrick@RiskWorldwide.com  GEORGE W. KEYS - Partner
George Keys is an ex- insurance executive having worked for some of the world’s largest insurance companies. Over the past 30 years, George has gained intricate knowledge of the insurance industry and specializes in policy analysis and interpretation aiding clients in recovering their full losses under the terms of their policy. His extensive knowledge of insurance companies sees him well placed to prepare a case that withstands insurance company and legal scrutiny, expediting the settlement process and maximizing the recovery of losses. As a Senior Professional Public Adjuster (SPPA), Mr. Keys holds the highest designation obtainable by exam from the National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters and he is a Past President and current member of the Board of Directors for the Florida Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (FAPIA). He is also accredited to evaluate earthquake damage.
Contact George on: 021 0659736 gkeys@RiskWorldwide.com Dr. Anurag Jain, PhD, PE – Structural Engineer Dr. Jain’s expertise is in the area of earthquake engineering and structural dynamics. He has performed extensive computer modeling and sophisticated analysis for the evaluation of structural performance failure and seismic hazard mitigation for over 20 years. Dr. Jain has been leading investigations to determine the cause of damage/collapse of numerous structures induced by natural and man-made disasters all over the world and more recently in Christchurch. Dr. Jain is actively involved in professional activities through participation in technical committees and conferences and his work has been published in refereed journals and presented at national and international conferences. He is also currently working to assist local engineers in Christchurch to augment their earthquake experience and was involved in drafting key parts of the California building code.
Contact Dr. Jain on: 03 943 4141 or at generalenquiries@riskworldwide.com Want to know more?If you want to know more about what we do and how we can help you maximise your insurance claim, you can find us here;Risk Worldwide New Zealand Limited Level 1, 366 Montreal Street, PO Box 13-456 Christchurch (in the James Dunlop Building on the corner of Peterborough and Montreal Streets) Telephone: 03 943 4141 0800 453 017 Email: generalenquiries@riskworldwide.com www.riskworldwide.com/Christchurch |
Website UpdateThis is a temporary site for Risk Worldwide New Zealand, our new site is under construction and will be launching soon.NewsKatherine talks toTVNZ’s Breakfast morning show about Christchurch businesses and their insurance policies.Click here to view the video. Contact Us+64 3 943 4141366 Montreal Street Christchurch 8013 New Zealand 
 Our partnersShine Lawyers have partnered with Risk Worldwide to help us deliver the best possible result for you.  When people take out insurance it is to protect them when things go wrong. It would be fair to assume that if disaster strikes, as long as you have done your bit and paid your premiums your insurance company will keep their end of the bargain. But if that were the case, we wouldn’t be in business.In the last 5 years alone, we have successfully recovered more than $1billion dollars more than insurance companies were originally prepared to pay. |