If something has happened, or you think it might have, tell us. Notification is what protects your cover; delay is what puts it at risk. This page explains how claims and circumstances are handled at Apex, what happens after you notify, and what to expect at each stage.
How to notify Apex of a claim or circumstance
The quickest way to notify is to call your named broker. If you do not have their direct line to hand, call the main number on 0117 325 0027 during office hours (Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 17:30). Outside those hours, email claims@apexinsurancebrokers.co.uk. Do not leave a notification on a voicemail alone — always follow up in writing.
In your notification, describe what happened, when it happened, who is involved and what documents you have. If you have a letter, an email or a formal complaint from a third party, attach it. If you are not sure whether the matter is a claim, a circumstance or neither, tell us anyway. We will help you work out the right characterisation before it goes to the insurer.
Claim, circumstance or complaint — the difference matters
A claim is a demand from a third party for money or a remedy. A circumstance is a fact or event that might lead to a claim in the future — an angry letter, a missed limitation date discovered internally, a design flaw noticed during a site visit. A complaint under the FCA’s DISP rules is an expression of dissatisfaction, whether justified or not, and follows a separate process.
Most professional indemnity policies are written on a claims-made-and-notified basis. That means the policy year in which you notify determines which insurer responds. Notifying a circumstance in the current year locks in cover under the current year’s policy even if the actual claim arrives after renewal. Failing to notify a circumstance you knew about can leave the future claim uninsured.
What happens after you notify
Once we have a notification we do three things: we open a file, we contact the insurer, and we come back to you to confirm what is happening. The claims adjuster the insurer appoints (or the panel solicitor, if legal advice is needed) will contact you directly and we stay in the loop throughout. On most professional indemnity claims the insurer chooses defence counsel; on some commercial classes there is more scope for you to influence the choice.
You will hear from us on the file at least once every four weeks even when nothing is moving. If you want an update sooner, ask.
Timeframes and reasonableness
Timeframes vary widely. A small first-party property claim can be settled in weeks. A defended professional indemnity claim can run for years. What insurers and the courts look at is not the elapsed time but whether each party has acted reasonably. Section 13A of the Insurance Act 2015 imposes an implied term that insurers pay claims within a reasonable time; what is reasonable depends on the type of claim, the size, the complexity and how much information the insurer has been given.
Practical steps that keep a claim moving: give complete information at notification, respond promptly to loss adjuster queries, keep documents in one place, and tell us if you feel the insurer is delaying without good reason.
Fair presentation and honesty
You owe your insurer a duty of fair presentation under the Insurance Act 2015 at inception, at renewal and on any material variation. That duty is not suspended when you make a claim. If facts have changed between renewal and notification, tell us; do not decide unilaterally that a fact is immaterial. It almost always looks worse if the insurer finds out later.
Your rights if things go wrong
If we handle your claim in a way you are unhappy with, you can complain to us. Our complaints procedure is published and we follow the FCA’s DISP rules: acknowledge within five business days, final response within eight weeks. Eligible complainants can escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) if we do not resolve the matter to your satisfaction. If your complaint is with the insurer’s handling of the claim rather than ours, the same escalation route applies to them.
What to gather now, in case you ever need it
Whether or not you have anything to notify today, three habits make claims easier if they ever come:
- Keep contract and engagement documents in one place. Retainer letters, terms of business, scope-of-work amendments — the paperwork that defines what you agreed to do.
- Keep contemporaneous file notes. A short note written at the time is worth more than a long memo written a year later.
- Know your policy schedule. Limit of indemnity, excess, retroactive date, jurisdiction, aggregation wording — these are the numbers that matter when a claim is notified.
Directly authorised, named-broker service
Apex is directly authorised by the FCA (FRN 724952), not an appointed representative operating under another firm’s authorisation. That means we are the firm responsible for the placement and the claim, and every account has a named broker who owns it from first quote through renewal. When a claim comes in, the same person who arranged the cover picks up the file.
To notify a claim or circumstance now
Phone: 0117 325 0027
Email: claims@apexinsurancebrokers.co.uk
Post: Apex Insurance Brokers Limited, QCS, 53 Queen Charlotte Street, Bristol BS1 4HQ
If your matter is a complaint about our service rather than a new claim, follow the complaints process. Vulnerable clients or those needing additional support should see our vulnerable customer statement.
Apex Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Firm reference number 724952.