What To Do To Claim

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What To Do To Claim

Aaah insurance claims. This is the part that we have all struggled with. Not to say that we aren’t grateful for our insurance, but there can be a few somewhat unknown steps that need to be followed so that the incident can be resolved. We hope this can help to demystify the claims process.

The best first step would be to contact your insurance broker either by phone or email to advise them of the incident taking place. They will then send you an insurance claim form to complete. These can look different depending on what type of claim you have.

Filling in a claim form can be confusing if you are a first-time claimant, we are here to help you through this stressful time by making the process even smoother. In some cases, a third party (with the correct written permission) can submit claims on your behalf, however, in most cases, only the person(s) listed on the policy can claim.

A claim form is required to record all the information relating to your incident, and almost always, there will be additional evidence required. For example, you may need to provide photographs of the incident, details of how the incident happened, contact details of the parties involved, a police case number, etc. In all cases the proximate cause is always required, what is a proximate cause this is the given action/event that had a direct result in damage. For example, a pipe bursts due to a spike in pressure, the proximate cause is the spike in pressure, which caused the pipe to burst resulting in water damage to the fixtures of the unit.

Knowing what information, you need to gather in order to make a claim ensures a smooth and ultimately less stressful insurance claim process, but remember, there are limits to the time that you have to submit your claim, so it is best to do it as soon as possible, even if you might not have all of the documents that you need to accompany your claim form right away.

Insurance claims do require further investigation at times. This would mean, should the insurer see it fit, they can appoint an assessor to your claim. An assessor will interview you and assess the damages due to the incident occurring. They will then provide the insurer with a report to either motivate your claim being processed or rejected.

For property and short-term insurance policies, regardless of the scope of the incident or insured event, the number of insurance claims filed has a direct impact on the rate you pay to gain coverage.

One needs to be aware the number of claims made can impact the premium paid going forward, whilst this might not be the case in the year, at the time of the renewal of the policy may be put in place. Whilst insurance is there to claim against, this is again just a point raised to clarify why at times premiums may increase. Your broker will be able to guide you through it all.

The time it takes for your claim to be resolved all depends on the type of claim, the variety of damages, the required contractors, legal requirements, and a number of other varying factors.

If you are ever unsure about what to do, call your broker! They are there to help you every step of the way to make this as simple a process as possible.