Pritchard Woodall handles BC ferry claims (September 01, 2005)

Regional adjusting firm Pritchard Woodall & Associates were recently called upon to deal with the aftermath of the Queen of Oak Bay Ferry damaging some 29 vessels and a commercial wharf located at Horseshoe Bay in North Vancouver, BC.

Working with the insurers and BC Ferries, Mark Woodall, a principal of Pritchard Woodall & Associates, led the charge in dealing with 30-plus claimants in one of BC’s most publicized insurance claims.

The Queen of Oak Bay ferry, carrying 540 passengers and 220 vehicles, lost power as it sailed into dock at the Horseshoe Bay Terminal. The captain of the vessel quickly diverted the ferry away from the terminal and into a commercial wharf area where hundreds of vessels were moored. The maneuver certainly avoided serious injuries to passengers and crew, as well as extensive damage to the ferry and the terminal dock.

With television cameras and other news agencies at every turn, Mr. Woodall continues to “dodge in and out,” meeting with claimant after claimant, examining damaged pleasure and commercial vessels and ultimately arranging settlements ranging from a few hundred dollars to in excess of several hundred thousand.

The claims are nearly completed, with just a few difficult ones left,” Mark says. He says this has been an unforgettable experience in his 25 years in the claims business. “I have handled claims involving millions of dollars previously, but this one certainly has been a challenge,” Mark says.

Pritchard Woodall & Associates services many insurers, self-insureds as well as government agencies through its five BC and Alberta-based offices.