Independent investigators are handling around 12,000 complaints about insurance claims a year. They’ve gotten out of control the past few years, suspectedly because of the way the policies are confusingly worded. If you ever need to make a claim on your home insurance or car insurance, you’re going to want it to run as smoothly as possible, so here’s how to make a successful claim in the event of a car accident or damage to your home:
Making A Car Insurance Claim
If the car accident has injured anybody or has posed a hazard to other drivers, make sure you dial 999. If the driver drives off or is obviously drunk you should also phone the authorities.
Don’t admit that the accident was your fault or offer to pay for the damage. Let the authorities decide who is to blame. If the other driver admits they were at fault or offers to pay, be sure to tell your insurer.
If there are any witnesses, be sure you get there names addresses and phone numbers. Be sure you have the contact details of anybody else involved too. Also be sure you write down the time and date for future reference.
By law, the other driver MUST give you the details of their insurance policy. Ask them for the details and write them down.
People often neglect to take pictures of the incident right away as they can be in shock. If you or anybody you are with has a camera phone, take pictures of the scene and all the vehicles involved. This can be beneficial in case the other driver tries to blame you for the accident.
To help things along further, you can make a drawing of where everyone was after the accident and the road layout. If you are going to do this be sure you do it soon after the incident.
You can also record other bits of information to help you, such as the speed limit of the road you were on and weather conditions.
If the police do turn up to the scene, get their names and collar numbers to give to the insurance company as they are effectively witnesses too.
Let your insurance company know ASAP.
Making A Home Insurance Claim
Most insurers have a number you can ring 24/7, so if something goes wrong in your household (e.g a burst pipe) call the insurance company before a repair man. The insurance company may have reliable repair men that can help you right away. This is particularly useful if you have insurance for landlords as the landlord will simply contact the insurance company and they will handle everything.
Be sure you know if emergency help from your insurer is extra or comes with your policy.
Follow the instructions your insurer gives you down to a T, and be sure you put in any claims before the deadline.
To speed up the process you should take as many pictures of the damage to your home as possible to show your insurer.
Expensive items may not always be covered on your policy if you don’t have proof of purchase. Keep receipts to anything expensive you may buy.
Exaggerating will not leave you in good stead and your entire claim could be thrown out. Don’t give any false information!
