Gallagher Corporate Manager Jodi Sharman has been inundated with requests after her LinkedIn post about helping a flood victim who had his claim denied achieve a $70,000 payout went viral.

The post, which began “another amazing result – $70,000 for someone who was told by their insurer $0”, has clocked up more than 80,000 impressions and Ms Sharman says hundreds of policyholders have flooded her email inbox seeking help with their own claim disputes.

“I've written a standard text saying I am absolutely inundated, give me a week and I'll definitely come back to you. They're all fighting insurers, all direct to market. Nobody that's writing to me is with an insurance broker,” Ms Sharman tells insuranceNEWS.com.au.

"Our domestic team have seven people in South Australia ready to assist me because I just can't keep up with the volume. My inbox is full.”

Ms Sharman says for some years she has been helping families free of charge if they are presented with a denial from their insurer and she feels they have not been treated correctly, assisting with a dozen or so such cases a year. 

She says she has just secured a $445,000 offer from an insurer for another family rebuilding after the Maribyrnong floods – “a person with broken English literally sitting on their doorstep crying” – and a $280,000 payout for another in the same area.

"I take them on and help people out through exactly this because I've got 25 years’ experience and know how to navigate it a bit better. Don't get me wrong, some I'll read and say, ‘Hey, you're not covered, it's 100% excluded’. If it’s a clear case then I will explain that but unfortunately more times it’s not the case,” she said.

The case she posted about involved a Moama man who, while taking a loan for a caravan, was incorrectly sold a house and contents policy via the bank’s insurance department. When he lodged his flood claim, the bank denied it and returned his eight years premiums, leaving him $62,000 short. 
“For eight years the insured had been buying the wrong type of policy. He isn’t an insurance expert and the salesperson should have known better,” Ms Sharman said.

She introduced him to the dispute resolution service of the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA), and after some time and examination of documentation, the bank agreed to accept the claim. 
 
“With some digging and proving his loan papers said it was for a caravan, [the claim denial] was overturned. A great outcome for a man who was just broken after losing his property in the floods then being told it wasn’t covered,” Ms Sharman said. 
“I was able to work with him and the amazing team at AFCA. They were really, really good and I think he liked … even just having me to sit there and be there for him and guide him.”