When something goes wrong, you need someone whose job is to get your claim paid, not the insurer's job to avoid paying it.
We work for you, not the insurer. That's true every day, but it matters most at claim time.
Quick answerClaims management is what an insurance broker does when something goes wrong: preparing your claim so it cannot stall, dealing with the insurer and its assessor on your behalf, pushing back when a decision does not add up, and escalating through the insurer's own review process to AFCA if it comes to that. At Consolidated Insurance Brokers, every client has a dedicated claims manager or claims consultant, at both our offices.
An insurer's claims team has a job to do, and it isn't primarily "help this policyholder." Ours is. From the moment you tell us something's happened, we're the ones preparing the claim properly, following up when it goes quiet, and pushing back when a decision doesn't add up. You get a dedicated person who already knows your policy, not a queue.
What actually happens when you make a claim, and where a broker fits in
Quick answerA claim is a negotiation before it's a payment, and how well it's prepared and followed up genuinely changes the outcome. Four things matter most: getting the claim complete the first time, building the evidence, having someone deal with the insurer's assessor for you, and knowing how and when to escalate.
Getting the claim right the first time. An insurer is entitled to ask for the information a policy requires, and a claim that arrives complete, the right description of what happened, the right documents, the right photos, moves faster and gives the insurer less room to delay.
Building the evidence. Photos of the damage, invoices, maintenance and repair records, and (where needed) independent expert reports don't just support a claim, they often decide it. Insurers frequently decline on the basis that damage was gradual or pre-existing rather than sudden. Evidence of when something happened and what caused it is what wins that argument (see, for example, how your roof condition affects insurance claims).
Someone dealing directly with the assessor. An insurer's assessor is assessing the insurer's exposure, not advocating for the claimant. Having someone on the file who can read an assessor's report, ask the right follow-up questions, and keep the claim moving is the difference between a claim that stalls and one that resolves.
Escalating, and knowing when to stop escalating. Most disagreements get resolved by pushing back inside the insurer with a clear, evidenced case. When they genuinely can't be resolved that way, the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) is the free, independent body that reviews insurance disputes for individuals and eligible smaller businesses in Australia. Going to AFCA isn't a failure, it's the system working as designed when an insurer and a claimant reach a genuine impasse.
Often a claim lands on a business that never saw it coming. When a long-term contractor slipped at a Queensland engineering business and turned out to have no injury cover of their own, we lodged the claim the moment a legal demand arrived; the insurer granted indemnity and is running the defence at its own cost. The full story, and why a contractor's injury can become your public liability claim, is on Public Liability Insurance.
What Consolidated actually does when you have a claim
Quick answerYou ring our claims line on 07 3292 1100 and a dedicated claims manager or claims consultant takes the file, at either office. They lodge the claim properly, follow its progress so you don't have to chase, explain the assessor's reports in plain English, and challenge the insurer when a decision isn't in your favour. If your claims contact isn't available, a message is taken, and if it's urgent, your account manager knows exactly what to ask.
One call starts it. Ring 07 3292 1100 and tell us what's happened. You don't need the perfect description or every document, that's what we're for. If your claims manager isn't available, a message is taken, and for anything urgent your account manager knows the questions to ask, so the claim isn't left waiting on one person's availability.
A person, not a portal. Every Consolidated client has a dedicated claims manager or claims consultant, in Brisbane and in Bundaberg. They work alongside your account manager, which matters because the person managing your claim already knows your policy, your building or business, and what your cover was built to do.
The chasing is ours. Lodgement, follow-ups, assessor appointments, report explanations, the phone calls that keep a claim from going quiet. Your job is running your business while it recovers. Ours is making sure the claim never sits still because nobody asked the next question.
Decisions that don't add up get challenged. Reading an assessor's report critically, asking what was actually inspected, and pushing back with reasons is normal claims work for us, not an escalation. And through the Steadfast network we can also bring in Steadfast Triage, an independent expert second opinion on a claim. If we feel an insurer is starting to do wrong by a client of ours, we proactively bring Triage in to look over the case.
If at any point money is tight while a claim runs, or the event behind the claim has hit you harder than financially, tell us. Our extra support page explains what we can do, and there is no wrong way to raise it.
What happens when an insurer digs in
Quick answerWhen an insurer declines a claim or offers less than it should, we negotiate harder before anything gets formal: re-presenting the claim using the policy's own features, pushing with reasons, and using our network and relationships, including the insurer's own business development contacts, to get a decision looked at again. If the informal channels don't fix it, we take the claim into the insurer's formal internal dispute resolution process, and to AFCA beyond that.
Insurers are not one immovable wall. Behind every claims decision is a person who can be asked to look again, a policy with features the first decision may not have used, and relationships we have spent years building. So when a decision isn't in your favour, the first move is rarely a formal letter. It's a harder negotiation: the claim re-presented with better reasons, the policy's own additional features brought into play, and the right people inside the insurer asked directly to review it. We have a range of avenues, and which one we use depends on whether the claim has simply stalled or the insurer is genuinely being difficult.
When the informal channels don't get the right answer, we escalate properly: first into the insurer's internal dispute resolution process, and then to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority if we think an insurer has done wrong by one of our clients. We're proud of that, and we say so plainly, because a broker who won't escalate is a broker whose pushback costs the insurer nothing. The honest other half: not every decision can be moved.
One distinction worth knowing: that whole process is about an insurer's decision on your claim. If you're ever unhappy with us, that has its own clearly signposted path, on our complaints page.
What does an insurance broker actually do when you make a claim?
Quick answerWhen a Queensland transport operator faced a total loss across a prime mover, trailer and forklift at the worst possible time, CIB took the admin off their plate, pushed the insurer for a fast settlement across all three units, made sure the people affected were looked after first, and had the settlement paid straight to the financier. Claims service, at the moment a client can least handle it, is what a broker is actually for.
A Queensland transport operator faced a total loss across a prime mover, a trailer and a forklift, all at once, at the worst possible time. The business was suddenly short the vehicles it relied on, with finance falling due.
We took the admin off their plate. We kept the pressure on the insurer for a fast settlement across all three units while the vehicles were still tied up, we made sure the people affected were looked after first, and we had the settlement paid straight to the financier so no debt lingered on written-off assets.
An insurer's assessment timeline is not something anyone can fully control. What a broker controls is the pressure kept on it, the admin lifted off the client, and the human priorities handled first. That is what claims service is actually for, and it is the reason to have a broker before you ever need one.
This isn't a Consolidated client story, it's a published AFCA determination, and it shows both sides of what a claim can turn on.
A sports club's building was underinsured: the sum insured sat at $525,000 against a real value at risk of $985,058, and the claim was reduced accordingly, to $132,710. That part of the story is the underinsurance mechanic working exactly as it's designed to, and AFCA let the reduction stand (see underinsurance and why it matters).
But a second part of the same claim tells a different story. During the repair, the insurer's own contractors disconnected an old sprinkler system and left it that way, then argued they shouldn't have to reconnect it because it didn't meet current standards. AFCA rejected that argument and ordered the insurer to put the reinstatement right, setting out exactly how the work, quoted at $326,640, had to be priced and settled. The insurer had broken something during its own repair work and tried to walk away from fixing it. It took someone holding the file to account to get that put right.
That second half is the part a claim needs someone actively managing, not just processing.
(AFCA case 12-25-239643. Presented as a published determination, not a Consolidated client; details de-identified.)
Reviewed by the people we insure.
I started enquiring about business insurance options a few months ago. I rang a number of brokers at the time and unfortunately I felt that because I was only making enquiries and not ready to take out any policies I kept going told to refer to their website. I gave Consolidated Insurance Brokers a call as they were next on my Google search. I called them, from memory it was the last day of business before a long weekend. Being this time, all consultants were busy and the receptionist took my details and said someone will contact me shortly. To my surprise they did, the broker was Debbie Blanco. Debbie asked questions to best understand what I type of insurance was going to suit my business needs. There was quite a few elements I didn't understand and she took the time to explain and advised what I didn't understand. Jump forward a few months once I had settled on a premises it was time to execute what insurances I need. I contacted Debbie who remembered our original conversation so it was easy for me as she was able to gather and advise on which quotes would suit best. Everything was smooth sailing, even having more questions I didn't feel pushed or pressured into agreeing to something I wasn't sure about. Everything again was explained and written in plain English so I could totally understand. Thankyou Debbie for making this task so much simpler, stress and hassle free. I wouldn't have any hesitation in recommending you. Thanks again Derek.
I Search online for a Commercial landlord Property Insurance for an urgent settlement and found these guys. I'm so glad that it did. Saskia Van Oostveen was quick to respond and made the process really easy for me. She was extremely helpful, knowledgeable and thoroughly professional. Great customer service. Would highly recommend Saskia looking for commercial Landlord Property insurance.
I know it is strange to say this about an insurance company but what a pleasure CIB is to deal with. Sheryll Todd is extremely professional and a knows what she is in about. I use Sheryll for my business and private insurance and always found her to be excellent. Whether it be a new policy or a claim her attitude is the same.....professional. One of the bet parts is that you are kept informed with the progress at all times and you don't have to keep on ringing them to find out what is going on. Good on you Sheryll.
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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.
Last reviewed: 21/07/2026
Something's happened? Start here.
One call, and the file is ours to carry. If you're not sure whether it's even worth claiming, that's exactly the right question to ring us with.