Stockport-based beverage wholesaler Primo Drinks have managed to save thousands of pounds in insurance claims after a recent Road Traffic Accident (RTA) involving one of their vehicles.
Stockport-based beverage wholesaler Primo Drinks have managed to save thousands of pounds in insurance claims after a recent Road Traffic Accident (RTA) involving one of their vehicles.
During the RTA, a stolen car had swerved and quickly lost control, eventually crashing into one of Primo Drinks’ delivery vans. As a result, the six month old van experienced heavy damage and the driver of the vehicle became trapped inside. Fortunately, the driver did not experience any serious injuries and was safely rescued by local emergency services.
Due to the nature of the RTA, having involved a stolen car and resulting in serious vehicle damage, Primo Drinks were required to process their insurance claim through the Motor Insurers’ Bureau. The claims process frequently takes several months to reach a resolution, especially if there is a lack of evidence or supporting documentation. Many businesses have also seen their premiums and overall costs go up as a result of lack of evidence and proactive approach during the claims process.
Fortunately for Primo Drinks, all their vehicles were equipped with Crystal Ball’s telematics solutions, including their intelligent SmartCam system. As a result, the entire incident as well as any corresponding driving data was recorded and verifiable. The video evidence and tracking data helped Primo Drinks receive the appropriate payout within less than two months, significantly quicker than if they didn’t have dash cams installed in their vehicles.
Regarding how dash cams have helped Primo Drinks in navigating the claims process, Primo Drinks CEO Brian Wright has said ‘Before we had SmartCam installed, if there was doubt it was an easy option for the insurance company to say, “we’ll pay 50/50” and that of course would affect our no-claims bonus.’
‘Since we fitted SmartCam, all of our claims have been resolved a lot faster because of its precision and the amount of data and video it provides, and crucially these incidents don’t end up unresolved in “claims pending”.’ As a result of using Crystal Ball’s SmartCam, Primo drinks have not only been able to reduce disruptions due to insurance claims and road traffic accidents, but have also been able to lower the cost of their insurance premiums as well.
The SmartCam’s instant tracking alerts have also helped the business keep track of driver behaviour – an especially useful feature for a service that handles and moves large amounts of fragile glass bottles. With this added level of security and accountability, Primo Drinks have seen an increase in safe driving behaviour and a reduction in broken or faulty products.
Alongside this reduced liability, Primo Drinks have also seen a reduction in fuel consumption, more efficient operations, and better supply chain management following the introduction of dash cams and telematics solutions in their fleet of vehicles. Alongside the dashcams, Primo Drinks have also equipped their 60+ fleet of cars and delivery vans with Crystal Balls’ advanced telematics and workforce management systems. When discussing how Crystal Ball has aided their operations, Wright says, ‘I don’t know of any other system that offers such a complete set of tools.’
