Claiming insurance is easy, right? Just call up the company and tell them you want to file a claim, right? Wrong! Even if you have all of the documents, providing your information may not be enough to get you what you deserve in full.
Use these ways to summit a claim to your insurance company so that you get every penny you need to get your life back on track following an unexpected accident or illness.
1) Check if you have coverage
A good place to start is to check your insurance coverage. If you have coverage for the items that were stolen or damaged, you’ll want to file a claim with your insurer right away.
Be sure to provide them with as much detail as possible about what happened in order to expedite the process. and we’ll be happy to help.
Sometimes it can take weeks or months before an insurance company will issue payment. If you don’t know how long it may take, give us a call and we’ll be happy to help out.
We’re here to help! It’s time-consuming work filing an insurance claim on your own, so let us do the heavy lifting while you focus on getting back on track.
You can also file a claim online with some of our partner companies. The most popular are Esurance and Geico but there are plenty more where those came from.
Just make sure to keep any receipts or paperwork associated with the item in case it becomes relevant later on.
2) Gather all the necessary documents
When you file a claim with your insurance company, be sure to have the following documents on hand:
-Copy of the vehicle’s title or registration Driver’s license Social Security Number Copy of all vehicle repair estimates Current proof of insurance (if available) If you’re in an accident and feel like you need to take action, be sure to contact a lawyer for legal advice.
You may not know it yet but some states require that a person get No Fault coverage as part of their car insurance.
In most cases, this type of coverage will cover medical expenses, lost wages and other financial losses related to injuries sustained from an auto accident.
The downside is that if you don’t have No Fault insurance then your auto insurance policy won’t pay anything related to personal injuries.
And any settlement you receive will probably be much less than what would be awarded by a jury if there was a lawsuit filed against the at fault driver’s insurer.
3) Understand your policy
In order to get the most out of your insurance policy, you need to know what it covers.
Before you start your search for coverage, make sure you understand the limits and exclusions in your policy.
That way, if you don’t qualify for any assistance from the insurance company, you’ll be able to make an educated decision on whether or not it’s worth pursuing further.
Ask your agent: You may have been given incorrect information by someone else. Check with your agent before contacting the company again.
They will be able to tell you if there is any other kind of assistance that could be available and what is required in order to get them help.
4) File the claim as soon as possible
If you have been in an accident or have sustained any form of damage, you should file the claim as soon as possible.
If your insurance company is aware of the incident, they may be able to assist you with getting repairs done.
Otherwise, if your insurance company does not know about the incident, they may deny your claim later on and refuse to pay for any damages.
Know how much your property was worth before the incident: You’ll want to do this so that you can figure out how much it will cost to repair it when presenting it to your insurance company.
5) Follow up on the status of your claim
It’s been few weeks since you filed a claim and you haven’t heard anything back. What should I do?
Contact the claims adjuster assigned to your case and provide them with any additional documentation they might need.
If you are not able to reach the claims adjuster, call their customer service line. You may also want to contact your agent or broker if you’ve had difficulty getting in touch with someone from the insurance company.
Be polite but persistent; don’t be afraid to escalate your request for assistance if necessary. Remember that it is often difficult for an insurer’s employee, who is usually busy with many other things, to get all of the information about their customer straight away when dealing with a new customer issue or complaint
6) Keep detailed records
Keep detailed records of every conversation you have with the insurance company, including dates, times and any important points. Be as specific as possible and avoid leaving anything out.
Keep copies of all correspondence you send or receive from the company. This may be in the form of letters, faxes or emails.
You can also take notes if you are at an in person meeting with an agent or representative from the company.
If they try to brush you off or refuse to talk to you, it is still helpful to write down what happened and how they acted so that you don’t forget.
If they promise something but then don’t follow through on their word, this is also worth noting for when it comes time for your claim settlement.