Code bordereau loss descriptions to your cause-of-loss list

Fields

• Class of business from the bordereau
• Loss description from the bordereau

Questions

1. What caused the loss, as the loss description tells it? Choice

   Choose the code from our list that fits the cause of the damage or injury, not the cover the insured may think applies. When one event leads to another, such as wind that lifts a roof covering and lets rain in, choose the first cause. Use the class of business to tell a property claim from a liability claim. Bordereau descriptions are often in capitals and abbreviated: INSD is the insured, TP a third party, O/N overnight, EOW escape of water.

   • Storm: wind Wind damage to roofs, walls, signs or fences, including rain or snow that gets in through that damage.
   • Storm: rain, hail or snow Heavy rain, hail or the weight of snow damaging the building, with no wind damage described.
   • Flood Water rising from outside the building: a river, the sea, surface water or overflowing drains.
   • Escape of water: pipe or tank A burst or leaking pipe, tank, radiator or boiler inside the building, not caused by frost.
   • Escape of water: frozen pipe A pipe or tank that froze and burst or split.
   • Escape of water: appliance or sprinkler A leak from a washing machine, dishwasher, water heater or other appliance, or from a sprinkler system.
   • Fire: electrical Fire started by wiring, a fuse board, a charger or electrical equipment.
   • Fire: cooking Fire started by cooking, a fryer, an oven or a kitchen extract duct.
   • Fire: hot work Fire started by welding, cutting, grinding or torch-on roofing.
   • Fire: deliberate Fire the description says was started on purpose.
   • Fire: other cause Fire or smoke damage from a cause other than those above, such as smoking or a heater, or with the cause not given.
   • Lightning A lightning strike, or a power surge the description puts down to lightning.
   • Theft: forcible entry Theft, or attempted theft, with a break-in or damage to get in.
   • Theft: no forcible entry Theft with no break-in described, such as by a visitor or through an open door.
   • Malicious damage Vandalism or damage done on purpose, with nothing stolen and no fire.
   • Impact A vehicle, a fallen tree, a crane or another object hit the building.
   • Subsidence or ground movement Cracking or movement put down to the ground sinking, heaving or slipping.
   • Accidental damage Sudden accidental damage to the building or its contents by the insured, a tenant or a visitor, from none of the causes above.
   • Glass breakage Only glass or glazing is broken.
   • Liability: slip, trip or fall A member of the public or a visitor slipped, tripped or fell at the premises or where the insured was working.
   • Liability: injury caused by work A member of the public was hurt by the insured's work, such as by falling materials or an unguarded opening.
   • Liability: property damaged by work Someone else's property was damaged by the insured's work, such as a cut cable, a cracked party wall or a flooded neighbour.
   • Liability: employee injury One of the insured's own employees was hurt at work.

2. Does the loss description name one of the events listed in the context? Choice

   Choose an event only when the description names it, such as "Storm Hedda" or "the Severn floods". Weather words or a date that would fit an event are not enough; code attributes claims by date and region.

   • The January freeze The description names the January freeze or the big freeze in January.
   • Storm Hedda The description names Storm Hedda.
   • Storm Ivo The description names Storm Ivo.
   • The Severn floods The description names the Severn floods or flooding from the River Severn.
   • No named event The description names none of the listed events.

3. Does the loss description say or suggest that weather caused the loss? Yes / No

   Count wind, gales, storms, heavy rain, hail, snow, frost, freezing and lightning, whether or not an event is named. Flooding from a river or the sea counts. Yes: The description puts the loss down to weather, or describes weather at the time as part of the cause. No: The description gives a cause that is not weather, or mentions no weather.

4. Does the loss description say that anyone was hurt in this incident, even slightly? Yes / No

   Count anyone: an employee, a tenant, a visitor or a member of the public. Yes: The description says someone was hurt, needed medical help, or claims for an injury. No: The description says nobody was hurt, such as "NO INJ", or mentions no injury. An illness or injury unrelated to the incident is No.

5. Does the loss description show a risk or activity the binder does not authorise? Yes / No

   Use the classes and the list of what the binder does not authorise in the context. Judge only what the description says about the premises, the occupiers or the work. This flags the row for our delegated authority auditor; it is not a finding on cover. Yes: The description shows premises, an occupier, a trade or work on the list, or a risk outside the authorised classes. No: Nothing in the description falls outside what the binder authorises.

6. Does the loss description say enough to assign a cause-of-loss code? Yes / No

   Abbreviations and capitals are normal and do not make a description too short. Yes: The description says what happened clearly enough to choose one code from the list. No: The description gives only a label or a vague phrase, such as "EOW", "DAMAGE TO PREMISES" or "TP CLAIM", so no code can be chosen with confidence.

Lens columns

loss_cause, loss_cause_probability, event_named, event_named_probability, weather_implied, weather_implied_probability, injury_reported, injury_reported_probability, outside_binder, outside_binder_probability, enough_information, enough_information_probability