Comprehensive insurance, especially for your car, home or business, is vital to your financial well-being. A comprehensive insurance policy that provides adequate cover in the event of damage or loss is no longer a luxury, but an absolute necessity. Ensuring that you submit the required and correct documentation when submitting an insurance claim is the first step. Here are a few tips and advice on how to correctly file an insurance claim:
- Should you be claiming from your insurance in the event of theft due to a break-in, you need to file a police report at your local police station and submit that information along with your claim form. Make a note of your case number.
- Take photographs of the scene and any damages related to the break-in (e.g. how the burglars managed to get into the house).
- You may be requested to submit relevant documentation about the loss of valuable items, such as receipts. Your cooperation in providing this information to your insurer will ensure that your claim is processed efficiently.
Claiming from your insurance at any time for any one of the above can be a stressful activity if you are unsure of the process and what is required of you as the policyholder. It is vital to read through your policy schedule to make sure that you are familiar with how the claims process works and what is excluded in your insurance policy.
Knowing how an insurance claims process works also reduces stress and allows you to better understand how and when your claim will be paid out.
The claims process starts with the insured logging an insurance claim and submitting all relevant documentation. Once the claim has been logged and the required documents received, the claim is allocated to a claims representative who will then conduct all the necessary investigations. Should the need arise, a validator will be assigned to your claim, depending on the circumstances surrounding your insurance claim. The last step in the process is the assessment of the damage, at which point an assessor will be sent out to inspect the severity of the damage. It is important to remember that this process takes some time depending on the nature of your insurance claim.
Now that you’ve familiarised yourself with what to do when filing an insurance claim, here are a few insurance claims no-no’s to remember to avoid the next time you’re claiming from insurance:
- Delaying notifying your insurer immediately in the event of a claim.
- Failing to read and understand your policy schedule.
- Not complying or cooperating with your insurer.
- Discarding damaged property before the inspection process starts.
- Failure to file a police report at the time of the incident.
Insurance claims need not be the headache that most of us perceive them to be. With the right information and a thorough understanding of your insurer's claims process and exclusions, you can file an insurance claim with confidence.
