Lodge a claim
07 3292 1100 · claims@cib.com.au · claims manager 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday
Or lodge online with the form below.
Quick answerTo lodge a claim with Consolidated Insurance Brokers, call your account manager or our claims team on 07 3292 1100, or use the form on this page. Our claims manager is on 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, an account manager takes your call 8am to 6pm, and our after-hours service takes claim calls at any other time. Make sure everyone is safe first, prevent any further damage if you safely can, and do not admit liability or authorise permanent repairs until we have spoken. We deal with the insurer on your behalf from the moment you lodge.
Something has gone wrong, and the last thing you need is a process to work out. Tell us what happened and we will take it from there. You do not need to know which section of your policy applies, whether it is covered, or what the insurer will say. That is our job.
Do these first
- Make sure everyone is safe. If anyone is hurt, or there is any danger, call emergency services on 000 before you call us.
- Stop the damage getting worse, if you can do it safely. Tarp a roof, turn the water off, board up a broken window, move stock off a wet floor. Insurers expect you to take reasonable steps to prevent further loss, and policies generally allow for reasonable emergency work. Photograph the damage first if you can, and keep the receipts for anything you spend.
- Take photos before anything is cleaned up or moved. Photograph the damage from several angles, including wide shots that show where it sits in the building. This is the single most useful thing you can do for your own claim.
- Keep everything. Damaged stock, broken parts, ruined fitout. Do not throw it out until the insurer has told you it is no longer needed. An assessor may want to see it.
- Report it to police if a crime is involved. Theft, malicious damage and vandalism claims generally need a police report number, so get one at the time rather than a week later.
- Write down what happened while it is fresh. Date, time, who was there, what you saw. Memory fades and assessors ask.
Do not do these
- Do not admit liability, or say the words "my fault", to anyone. Not to the other party, not to a witness, not in a text message. Whether you are legally liable is a question for your insurer and, if it comes to it, a court. Saying it can compromise the cover you have paid for.
- Do not authorise permanent repairs before the insurer has agreed. Emergency work to prevent further damage is fine and expected. A full repair booked in before an assessor has seen it can leave you paying for it.
- Do not settle directly with another party, or accept a payment from them, before speaking to us.
- Do not delay. Most policies require you to notify a claim as soon as reasonably practicable. If you are not sure whether something is claimable, tell us anyway and we will work it out. A conversation costs nothing; a late notification can cost the claim.
Lodge your claim
Use the form on this page, or call us on 07 3292 1100. The form takes as much detail as you have, including photos and documents. If you do not have everything to hand, send what you have and we will chase the rest. Getting the claim on foot matters more than getting the form perfect.
You can also email us at claims@cib.com.au. If you have already lodged and want to send more photos, quotes or invoices, that is the address to use.
If you would rather talk it through first, call. A claim lodged after a five minute conversation is usually a better claim.
What happens after you lodge
- Your cover gets checked before the insurer checks it. We read your policy against what happened and tell you honestly what we think, including where we think there is a problem. You will hear it from us before you hear it from an assessor.
- Your claim gets lodged with the insurer and managed from there. You deal with us. We deal with them.
- An assessor may be appointed. For anything beyond a small claim the insurer will usually appoint a loss adjuster or assessor to inspect. We will tell you what to expect and what they will want to see.
- You get updates, and the claim gets chased. Claims go quiet when nobody is pushing. Pushing is part of what you pay us for.
- Your settlement gets checked before you accept it. Settlement figures are worth reading properly. We look at whether the basis of settlement matches your policy and whether anything has been left out.
When an insurer digs in
Sometimes an insurer takes a position we do not accept. That is the point at which having a broker stops being an administrative convenience.
We put the argument to the insurer in writing, on the wording, with the evidence. Where we believe an insurer is treating a client unfairly, we can also escalate through Steadfast Triage, an independent expert review service available to us through the Steadfast network, and ask for the file to be looked at again by someone outside the insurer's claims team.
We cannot promise an outcome, and nobody honest can. What we can tell you is that a declined claim is not automatically the end of it, and that we do not treat it as one. See what we do when an insurer digs in.
Insurers are also bound by their own standards. Under the General Insurance Code of Practice, an insurer that denies a claim or does not pay it in full must tell you in writing what it does not accept and why, and must tell you that you can ask for the information and the expert reports it relied on. If you ask for those, it has 10 business days to hand them over. Those particular rules apply to retail insurance, which broadly means individuals and small businesses buying standard covers like home or motor rather than commercial policies, so they will often not apply to a commercial claim. The principle that you are entitled to reasons in writing, and to see what those reasons were built on, is one we will press on any claim.
Frequently asked questions
How do I lodge a claim with Consolidated Insurance Brokers?
Call your account manager or our claims team on 07 3292 1100, or complete the form on this page. Our claims team is available 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, and an account manager 8am to 6pm, with our after-hours service at any other time. You do not need to know whether the loss is covered before you call.
What should I do immediately after damage or a loss?
Make sure everyone is safe, then take reasonable steps to prevent further damage if you can do so safely, photograph everything before it is cleaned up or moved, keep damaged items, and get a police report number if a crime is involved. Then tell us. Do not admit liability and do not book permanent repairs before the insurer has agreed to them.
Will making a claim put my premium up?
It can, and it depends on the claim, the insurer and your history. It is a fair question to ask before lodging, and we will give you a straight answer on your particular situation. What we will not do is talk you out of claiming on something you have paid to be covered for.
Can I claim if I am not sure it is covered?
Yes, and you should tell us either way. Working out whether something is covered is our job, not yours, and policies cover things people often assume they do not. The cost of asking is a phone call. The cost of staying quiet can be the claim.
What if my claim is declined?
Tell us straight away, and send us the insurer's reasons in writing. A decline is a position, not always a final answer. We will read the decision against the wording, put an argument back where there is one to make, and can escalate through Steadfast Triage where we believe you are being treated unfairly. If you are unhappy with how we have handled things, our complaints process is separate and open to you at any time.
How long will my claim take?
It depends on the size and complexity of the loss and how quickly information reaches the insurer. A straightforward property claim can settle in weeks; a large loss involving an assessor, quotes and business interruption can take considerably longer. We will give you a realistic expectation early rather than an optimistic one, and we will tell you when it slips.
If you need extra support
If you are dealing with financial hardship, a natural disaster, family violence, or anything that makes it harder to deal with a claim right now, tell us and we will adapt how we work with you. See our extra support page.
If you are unhappy with any part of how we have handled your claim, you can make a complaint and it will not affect how we treat you. See how to make a complaint.
Related reading
- Fire insurance for a commercial building: what covers fire, what does not, and the sum insured that decides a fire claim.
- About us: who we are and how we work.
- Paying your premium: the payment methods and what to do if a due date is a problem.
Talk to our claims team
Our claims team handles claims across commercial property, business, liability, motor and farm. Claims are managed in-house by people you can ring directly, not routed to a call centre.
- Phone: 07 3292 1100
- Email: claims@cib.com.au
- Hours: 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday
- At other times: an account manager 8am to 6pm, and our after-hours service at any other time
- Claims manager: Karen Barton
You can also lodge through the form on this page at any time. If it is an emergency, deal with the safety and the damage first, and call us when you can.
Information current as at 22/09/2026
The information on this page is general in nature and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on it, consider whether it is appropriate for your circumstances. Where the information relates to a particular insurance product, consider the relevant Product Disclosure Statement before making a decision.