Coronavirus – The Impact on Your Claim

We confirm we have complied with the government's guidance on managing the risk of COVID-19. Click here to read the declaration

Frequently Asked Questions

Our response 

Last Updated: 30/06/20

Coronavirus and Your Claim

With lockdown still in place we continue to run our offices remotely with the same operational efficiency as before the pandemic began however some of the external parts of the process have changed, such as in relation to medical appointments.  

Whilst the majority of clients may not have experienced any delays, some may be unable to undergo remote medical examinations or treatment and that can delay matters.    We are continuing to monitor government and medical advice as closely as possible to be able to provide assistance where we can.  We remain in regular contact with our third party suppliers who are also doing the same.

Your Claim

With staff working from home, our advice remains to try and contact us electronically if you can and avoid calling us unless it is urgent or we have asked you to.

Please let us know if you are struggling or experiencing any difficulties either in relation to Coronavirus or generally; we are here to help you and make any reasonable adjustments that we can to make the running of your claim easier.

Medical Appointments

Remote medical appointments are still being arranged as standard unless you specifically request a face-to-face examination.  Our figures suggest around 93% of examinations are going ahead in this way and clients have adapted well to the change.

Please note that requests for face-to-face examinations will lead to a delay in your claim whilst we await updates in government and medical guidance.  Experts may for some time be concentrating on assisting NHS patients which could lead to a delay in medico-legal appointments becoming available. 

Please contact your medical agency if you wish to discuss an upcoming examination.

Treatment

Some forms of treatment are still able to proceed via remote sessions and you should liaise with your file handler or the agency in question to discuss whether this applies to your claim or particular treatment need.

Hire/Repair

Any issues relating to hire and repair should be directed towards the repairer or hirer in question to find out whether there will be any disruption to service levels.   Our understanding is that where there may have been some initial repair delays or unavailability of hire cars, hire and repair services are now largely running business as usual.  

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Last Updated: 29/04/20

Coronavirus and Your Claim

We know it is important for us to keep our clients fully informed during this difficult time and that many of our clients want to know that their claims will continue to progress.

We ask that you continue to keep yourself updated with, and follow, the government’s health advice in relation to the virus together with the associated advice in relation to testing, social distancing and shielding.

Please be assured that we are working closely with other parties in the claims process to ensure that your claim is being managed as efficiently as possible whilst the lockdown measures remain in place. This has resulted in positive operational changes being put in place that will minimise delays on your claim.

Your Claim

During the extended period of enforced lockdown we will continue to do everything to ensure that your case is progressed. Apart from changes in the way we communicate with you, we are operating as near a normal service as possible with some minor exceptions, for example, where we are reliant on the performance of other parties involved in the claim.

All those employees who are able to work from home are doing so with access to the usual business systems and support services. If you find yourself to be struggling or feeling particularly vulnerable, please let your file handler know and we may be able to make adjustments that can better support you.

Please do continue to:

• Communicate with us where possible electronically, through email or using our MyClaim App;
• Avoid calling us unless it is urgent or we have asked you to do so, we will call you if we need to speak to you;
• Be patient with regard to the progression of your claim.

Medical Appointments

The latest advice is that medical appointments should take place by remote video examination using technology such as Skype, Facetime, Whats App or similar. Please contact the medical agency that made the appointment to check what arrangements they have put in place if you already have an appointment booked. For all new claims, appointments will be offered remotely unless you request otherwise. If you opt for a physical examination this will inevitably result in delays. You will be given appropriate legal advice about remote examinations.

Physiotherapy

If you are receiving physiotherapy treatment, then you should contact either the physiotherapist or the medical agency for advice on attendance at further sessions. Treatment providers are working towards remote therapy sessions however this is not yet available.

Hire and Repair

If your vehicle is being repaired, or you have been given a replacement vehicle, you should contact the repairer or the provider of the replacement vehicle to confirm whether there will be any changes to the arrangements for delivery or collection of the vehicles.

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Last Updated: 31/03/20

COVID-19 – Service Update

We continue to closely monitoring the impact of COVID-19 and the impact on our customer’s claims.

During this time of continued uncertainty over the COVID-19 pandemic, we understand the importance of communicating with our customers to give assurance that the right procedures are in place to ensure the safe provision of Medical Assessments and rehabilitation

As a result of government supported, travel restrictions, for non-essential journeys, we are working with our Medical and Rehabilitation partners to ensure customers receive the right level of medical attention and support at the right time.

Medical Appointments:

• Our Medical agency partners and Medical experts are working hard to ensure every opportunity is taken to provide a consistent and continuous service
• All vulnerable customers, including anyone over the age of 70, have been contacted and given confidence that they are in safe hands with future appointment dates agreed
• We are using technology wherever possible, in-line with Medco guidelines, to provide remote video conference medical assessments
• We are working with industry bodies to utilise this same technology to provide rehabilitation services and will provide further information on this element in the near future

Your appointed medical assessment provider will be in touch to provide more information, in the meantime if you require further support, please contact your file handler via your MyClaim app or by using the email details previously shared.

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​Last Updated: 26/03/20

We appreciate that avoiding or dealing with the coronavirus will be a high priority for many of our clients, but at the same time, customers will be keen to ensure that their cases are progressed as quickly as possible in these exceptionally difficult times.

You should ensure that you are aware of, and that you follow, the government’s health advice in relation to the virus, and the associated advice in relation to social distancing and social shielding.

Your Claim

During this period of enforced lockdown activity we will do everything to ensure that your case is progressed as far as possible.  We have put in place arrangements to enable staff to work from home as far as we can, however as time goes on, there will be an increasing number of people who are unable to work because they are self- isolating, or because they have the virus.  It is also unclear at the point to what extent other organisations – including the courts – will continue to be able to function during the pandemic.

As this is Government enforced, the measures will  impact everybody involved in the claims process; Carpenters, your insurer, the other driver’s insurer, their solicitors, the court, barristers, medical agencies and other experts.   These factors will inevitably lead to delay in the progression of the claims’ process.  

We will do all we can to progress your case despite these difficulties.  It would help us enormously if during the period of restriction you would:

• Communicate with us where possible electronically, through email or using our MyClaim
• Avoid calling us unless it is urgent or we have asked you to do so, we will call you if we need to speak to you.
• Be patient with regard to the progression of your claim. We trust you will appreciate that your claim is likely to take longer to resolve for reasons beyond anyone’s control.

Medical Appointments

The latest advice is that medical appointments should take place by remote examination.  This means by video examination; usually Skype, FaceTime or similar.  You should contact the medical agency that made the appointment in check what arrangements they have put in place. 

Physiotherapy

If you are receiving physiotherapy treatment, then you should contact either the physiotherapist or the medical agency for advice on attendance at further sessions

Hire and Repair

If your vehicle is being repaired, or you have been given a replacement vehicle, you should contact the repairer or the provider of the replacement vehicle to confirm whether there will be any changes to the arrangements for delivery or collection of the vehicles. 

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25/03/20

A Message from the CEO

We are all understandably concerned about COVID-19 as it increasingly impacts our lives and those of families and friends, History has taught us that we are all far more resilient than we know, and this period will be no different. Our collective thanks go out to all the NHS and healthcare workers on the front line working round-the-clock to contain this virus and the countless charitable and community groups working hard to protect the most vulnerable.

For over 25 years, Carpenters has been there for our customers through challenging times and we will continue to be. We want to reassure you that we remain fully operational and continue to be focused on delivering the best claims and legal services that we can.

Thanks to our investment in technology, we’re able to maintain the level of services that you would expect from us. We are continuing to operate during our usual hours and our online facilities remain operational 24/7 for those of you who wish to access information or manage your claim.

With the developing situation, there are likely to be some changes to the claims process – for instance, medical assessments may start to be undertaken via video online where possible – but we shall do everything in our power to ensure that the transition is managed as smoothly as possible and will provide you with regular updates on our website and key developments emailed directly to you. Although we are working hard to ensure that there is minimal change to the service we provide, please do bear with us if response times are a little longer than usual.

We are incredibly proud of our amazing staff who have gone above and beyond over the past fortnight during these unprecedented times. As of today, most of our staff are working from home, with others working in alternate office locations. We continue to monitor and adapt to the Government’s advice and protecting the health and well-being of our staff remain our priority.

For all existing Carpenters clients, we are asking them to continue to contact their individual case handler, preferably by email or on their direct dial telephone number. With several of our locations now closed, we are asking all clients, if possible, to use email or the telephone rather than correspond by post.

Alternatively, we have other ways our clients can find out what they need on our website:
• Track and manage your claim using MyClaim online or download the app
• Visiting our Help & Advice section with FAQs
• Downloading our ‘Guide to Your Claim’

We are continuing to monitor the situation and liaise with various industry organisations including FCA, Law Society, MIB and MedCo.

We’re here for you, if you need us, so please get in touch and we’ll be happy to help. In the days and weeks ahead, we wish that you look after yourselves and each other and together we shall get through this.

Donna Richards, CEO