Advice on notifying insurance (NFU)

Rachaelpink

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Hi, my horse was injured a week ago, kicked and tangled in wire. She was hoppig lame at first from the kick on her side and the cut. She is still lame but no where near as bad. The wound is still open, shes on antibiotics, danilon etc and seen vet twice so far. Vet has said if wound doesn't heal and she's still lame she will need to go in for x rays.

Do you think I should tell NFU now or wait till I know if I actually need to claim or not? Read my policy booklet but can't find any small print on when you have to let them know. I don't really want to tell them about it if I don't need to claim incase they put a clause on it. Hoping to get some money off YO as the wire was the electric fencing gate and shouldn't have been on the middle of the field but at this stage I don't know what will happen in terms of her recovery as it's still early days.
 
Strictly speaking you are supposed to advise your insurance company when anything happens to your horse whether or not you make a claim.

I am insured with NFU and they have been pretty good. They put an exclusion on one of my horses for mud fever which I queried. They said that they would review it after a year which they did and then removed the exclusion.
 
Can I just check, was that because you claimed or because you told them about the mud fever? Is there an actual time period you have to notify them? Can't seem to find any info about this. Thanks
 
When I got my policy documents from NFU this year the wording has changed to say they won't cover you for ANYTHING your horse has seen a vet for previously. They will write and ask the vet too so unless you keep changing vet (which you have to say on the claim form anyway) you can't escape it. I would think for an injury you should be ok but I guess if it leads to complications in the future then maybe not.
How much is the bill so far? ie is it worth claiming?
 
I am just in the process of claiming from them and have phoned a couple of times to advise them of whats going on but both times i was told that no decision would be made until all the paperwork is in so just waiting to see if they will pay.
 
We're with NFU - out of four horses insured with them two have ongoing claims and one of those actually has two separate claims ongoing at the moment! They have been very good, BUT they wouldn't agree to cover the costs initially for one claim (back problem), and we had paid out nearly £1000 before they agreed to cover it. They got loads of different opinions from underwriters before they paid. Having said that the other horse has a broken knee and they have paid out for that without any quibble at all. I dread to think what they will want in premiums next year! I did tell the NFU as soon as I had been to the vet first time for each claim - asked the vet if he thought the NFU would pay out.
 
I've been with NFU for donkey's years and unfortunately had to make a few claims including some big ones. I have to say, they have never increased my premiums beyond what I would be paying elsewhere.
Personally, I can't recommend them highly enough, they have been really good to me.
 
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Can I just check, was that because you claimed or because you told them about the mud fever? Is there an actual time period you have to notify them? Can't seem to find any info about this. Thanks

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It was for a claim as he ended up having to have injectable antibiotics. Fortunatley never had another episode after this one.
 
I am currently seeing the vet for an ongoing problem with my boy.
I didn't tell the insurance company until after the initial investigations. They didn't reveal the problem and I had to start having more in depth, costly investigations done.
If the problem is small and easily remedied I wouldn't claim.
I'd see how the land lies after your next vet visit.
Good luck
 
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I've been with NFU for donkey's years and unfortunately had to make a few claims including some big ones. I have to say, they have never increased my premiums beyond what I would be paying elsewhere.
Personally, I can't recommend them highly enough, they have been really good to me.

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They put my premium right up this year after 3 claims over £1000 in 2 years - stayed with them though because they have been so good.

In answer to the OP if you already know you are going to claim then I would start filling in the forms now.
However last year Frankie had allergies which I didn't claim for as there wasn't much, just antihistimines and a few injections.
When it didn't improve took him have to the vet college for testing and put a claim in then - must have been nearly 6 months after he first got lumpy. They let me back date the claim and paid all the treatment up to that point.
 
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