Making an insurance claim shouldn’t be a hard task. If you have your details right, it is straightforward. The insurance claim can be for your house insurance, car insurance or health insurance. Whatever claim you are making for, we will show you how you can make an insurance claim and what documents you need to provide.
How to Make an Insurance Claim
Making an insurance claim is very easy if you know the steps to take. Follow these simple steps.
The first step is to report an incident. Whether it is an accident, theft or vandalism, report to the police as soon as possible and get a police statement. There is a time limit after when you cannot report an incident.
The other step is to check if you are covered against the claim. If you are insured against theft and your property is destroyed by fire, you cannot make a claim. In some cases, the incident might not be severe and you may choose to call a technician by yourself. Make sure that the insurer approves the technician. Otherwise, your claim will be rejected.
Get all your documents together like the insurance policy document, receipts for the stolen or vandalism assets and the police report. Have all the details correct and facts straight. You must explain to the insurer chronologically about what transpired. Get the facts right in terms of time and dates, how the incident occurred and those who witnessed it.
The next step is to inform the insurer. You can call them or visit their premises. However, if you bought your insurance policy through a broker, inform him first. As such, he will help you in making the insurance claim.
Make Health Insurance Claim
When making an insurance claim, the process is different from that of property insurance. To make a health insurance claim, you must first call your insurer and ask them to refer you to a health facility. Alternatively, you can visit your GP and request him to refer you to a hospital. Make sure to get a referral letter from your GP, indicating the treatment you need. For critical insurance that may require income protect claim, first reach out to your insurer. Ask them if you are insured for income protection and the steps you need to take.
Dos and Don’ts to Get Your Claim Accepted
Adhere to the following measures to have your insurance claim accepted by the insurer.
- Report the incidence as soon as possible. There could be a time frame when you need to make an insurance claim. As such, make sure to report to the police as soon as possible and inform the insurer.
- Provide correct detail. Having the wrong details could make the insurer deny your claim. Ensure that details like the value of the property, date and time are correct.
- Have proof of damage. Make sure to take images and videos of the damaged property. It will help the insurer to assess the damage.
- Avoid exaggeration. Make sure to report details and incidences as they are. For instance, provide the accurate price you bought an asset.
- Have your insurance claim documented. Avoid making any commitment verbally. Make the claim in writing and have accurate dates and time, people who were present and what they said.
- For motor vehicle accidents, make sure to get the details of the other driver. If they can’t provide you with their names, note the registration number of the vehicle for tracing.
- Keep your receipts. Sometimes, you might be required to provide a receipt for a property you are claiming for.
The Cost of Making an Insurance Claim
When you make an insurance claim, you pay an extra small fee, known as the excess. The amount of excess is agreed upon when applying for an insurance policy. For instance, if you can insure your car for £3,500 and it gets an accident. When you make a claim, the insurer will pay £3400, while you are required to pay £100. For most insurers, you pay the excess amount once every year. Therefore, if you had made another claim the same year and paid the excess, the insurer will pay the full amount of sum insured.
Conclusion
To speed up the process f making a claim, you just need to provide the correct details and relevant information and documentation. However, the timescale will vary from one insurer to the other. For some insurers, you can get your claim within 24 hours.