Background

Vehicle fires can often cause damage to a carriageway’s surface, the damage will necessitate the burnt area being planed out and a new surface being laid. The more intense the fire, the deeper the patch will need to be, and repairs will frequently include reinstatement of road markings on the new surface.

After a vehicle fire on a major motorway, costs were presented at £15,949.57 for works relating to the resurfacing of the carriageway by sub-contractors, including call out, traffic management and various additional costs for lining and studs.

Another vehicle fire occurred on a different major motorway, and on a similar basis costs were presented at £17,495.36 for all works relating to the resurfacing of the carriageway.

How we helped

When we received first claim, it was already with the claimant’s legal department, so time was of the essence. We researched the location of the fire, including web based searches. After investigating further, we were also able to determine the date the repair was supposed to have been carried out however, it was clear from our enquiries that no repair had been completed.

With the second vehicle fire claim, the site was also researched. The repair invoice submitted included a handwritten note referring to ‘primary’ and ‘secondary’. This raised questions about the true nature and extent of the damage caused.

Our investigation identified that two separate sets of works had been carried out, but the costs had been combined and presented to our client for payment. The ‘primary’ works related to a separate 95m repair in the running lanes, which we were able to identify due to the type of road studs used. The ‘secondary’ repair, on the hard shoulder, used a different type of stud and that was the repair our client bore responsibility for.

Results

For the first claim, we identified that no repairs had been completed and that any damage was not on the carriageway but was actually on the verge of the motorway.

We presented our findings to the claimant’s legal department and offered £137.69 for the callout crew. The result was a complete withdrawal of the claim, so our client saved £15,949.57, or 100% of the costs.

For the second vehicle fire claim, we presented our findings to the claimant with an offer of £2,556.70 for the works on the hard shoulder patch. Our offer was accepted, and we saved our client £14,938.66, or 85.4% of the original cost.

To find out more about our Impact Solutions services, and how we can help you investigate claims while reducing costs, contact James Harris, Casualty Growth Director on james.harris@davies-group.com.