We all start insurance to support us during unforeseen circumstances, hoping they never come through. However, Murphy’s law has unique timing, and it does pop out sooner or later for some people.
If your life has fallen because a driver decided not to pay attention and ramp into your car, or a burglar decided that your property was worth stealing from, then my friend, it is time to claim the insurance you had started. Don’t know how to file an insurance claim? All you have to do is follow the ten simple steps below.
Here are ten simple steps through which you can file an insurance claim for your damages:
1.Contact your Insurance Agency ASAP
Once you identify the loss, you must contact your insurance agent ASAP. Some companies do not have agents available 24/7, and you may need help to reach them. In such cases, you must move on to call your insurance company directly to report the claim. Make sure you take the name and designation of the person you talked to and send a follow-up claim letter or email to the company indicating that you had reported your loss.
2.Carefully Document your Losses and Take Photographs
Once you report your loss, it is time to document it. You can list the failures that occurred, but make sure you take photographs and videos, too. This will help you provide authentic and virtual proof of your losses to your insurance agency and rightfully claim the required insurance. While you may be offering virtual evidence to the insurance company, you must keep a few copies.
3.Show the Damages to the Insurance Company Before Getting Rid of Them
When claiming insurance, one significant tip we can give you is to avoid throwing away any damaged materials or losses before the insurance company inspects it thoroughly. This is because the insurance company is the one who will be reimbursing you for your losses, and hence, they have the entire right to look through all the damages before estimating a reimbursement cost for you. If you throw away some materials and claim their insurance, the insurance company might need help to retrieve your claim.
4.Keep a Log of Contacts and Communication with the Insurance Company
Many people may not consider this point important, but let us tell you that there is nothing more essential than keeping a log of contacts and communications with the insurance company you have had throughout the claim period. It is necessary to document all meetings (even those postponed or canceled) and tabs on everything discussed during it.
5.Keep Written and Telephonic Records of Conversations
Communication is the key to ensuring that the claim process is working on the right path with the insurance company. However, while telephonic conversations are great for keeping tabs on the matter, we highly suggest you send a letter to your insurance agent restating everything discussed on the call. This will help you keep records of what transpired for future reference and invite the insurance company to reply if they want to verify a particular statement or disagree with one of yours.
6.Consult an Attorney Before Signing the Release of Claims
The attorneys know the law and how to handle it better than all of us; hence, if you plan on retrieving their insurance or filing a claim, we highly suggest you take an attorney along. Insurance companies, at times, might ask people to sign a proof of loss form, which indicates damaged materials and aspects. The attorneys know a lot more about filing such legal documents, and in case your insurance company asks you to fill one, we suggest you take your lawyer along.
7.Take Help in Assessing Damage Cost
At times, estimating the damages and loss can be challenging for an individual. In such cases, the insurance claimer can ask for an expert to help them. The third-party expert would be hired at the insurance company’s expense, and at times, the insurance company may get you in touch with someone, too. However, it is always essential to make sure that the professional they are linking you with doesn’t make their profit off the company. Ask them to let you pick your person if you feel like it.
8.Verify and Recheck the Markey Value of the Cost Provided by the Company
When the professional has provided an estimate of the damages to you and the insurance company and given an estimate of the insurance claim you should retrieve, it is always essential to verify its authenticity. This is because, at times, your damaged goods may have a market price of more than what is offered. Verification will allow you to determine whether your insurance company is working rightfully by you or not.
9.Work with an Adjustor
To ensure that the insurance company is working right by you, it is always recommended to work with an adjuster. The adjuster will differ from the professional who would help you estimate the cost. An adjuster is a person who reviews your claim, inspects your list of damaged goods or property, calculates the value of the items on your list, and then provides an estimated cost for all of it. You can also bring your adjustor to your next or final claim meeting with your insurance company.
10.Protect your Property from Further Damage or Theft
Last on the list is ensuring you protect your property from further damage. We understand that retrieving claims the first time can be easy, for people who start filing for claims often would come into the eyes of the company, and your traits might start looking suspicious. This, in turn, would cause problems in retrieving your claims from further on.
Filing for an insurance claim the first time can be daunting. However, we hope that with these simple steps, we have made this job easier for you.
