Rural insurer FMG says it’s making steady progress on the initial claims it’s received for damage from Cyclone Gabrielle, though there’s still a long way to go to support everyone impacted by the recent severe weather.
“We want to acknowledge the patience of our clients as we work through the high volume of claims generated by these extreme weather events,” FMG’s head of claims Nicki Mackay said.
“If your claim is with us, then please know we’re working hard, it will take time, so we really appreciate your patience.”
The claims team has noticed a significant increase in clients calling in for an update on how their claim is tracking.
“While I fully empathise, I’d like to assure everyone that if you’ve lodged a claim, cyclone related or not, that it’s being managed by our claims team and we’ll be in touch as soon as we have an update,” Mackay said.
“We are prioritising and working through our most vulnerable clients with urgent claims, and in order of severity. These are the people who have lost everything.”
Clients can also check the progress of the claims via FMG’s online offering FMG Connect.
FMG has moved its in-house assessors from around New Zealand to the areas most impacted.
It has also contracted in additional assessing support.
“We’re already settling claims, making emergency payments, and supporting clients that need it with temporary accommodation,” Mackay said.
So far, FMG has received 3824 claims related to Cyclone Gabrielle, mostly for buildings, contents and vehicles as well as some claims for business interruption.