Making a Claim

If the worst has happened, and you need to make a claim, bear in mind the following advice:

• Every insurance policy specifies a number of certain duties that an insured person must perform after a loss has occurred. These duties are normally included in the section of the insurance policy entitled "Conditions", and will vary between different companies and types of policies. Failure to perform one or more of these duties could relieve the insurance company of its obligation to pay the claim.
• If you've been a victim of a crime, contact the police immediately.
• If there has been property damage, you will be obliged to take reasonable steps to protect the property from further damage.
• Before claiming, check your policy carefully to make sure you are covered for the loss or damage. You may even be covered under more than one type of policy; if this is the case then you'll need to decide which one you will claim under. You should take into account the amount of excess you'll need to pay, and the effect that a claim will have on the following year's premiums.
• Once you've decided which policy you will claim under, contact your insurer immediately, so that they can send you a claim form. Some companies will let you make a claim over the phone, which will save you time and may mean that your claim will be dealt with more quickly.
• Fill in the claim form as soon as you can. You will probably need to obtain estimates on repair costs or replacements. If you've had to make any emergency repairs, keep the receipts and invoices, as you will need these as part of your claim. Your insurance company may have an emergency helpline to put you in touch with the appropriate tradespeople.
• Normally, your claim will be filed with a local representative of the insurance company, who then becomes responsible for investigating the specific details of the claim and negotiating the payment from the main insurers.
• After the claim is filed, the insurance company may send out an investigator known as an appraiser or adjustor, who will objectively evaluate the insurance claim and (if appropriate) determine if the repair estimates are reasonable. This is done to prevent possible fraud by contractors who may increase their prices for additional compensation.
• In some cases, an insurance claim may not be recognized by the company; for example, if the claimant's premiums have not been paid in full. If the accident or damage claim was caused by carelessness or an unavoidable "Act of God", the insurance company also has the right to withhold payments.