When you have an insurance policy, you pay your premium and expect to receive compensation in the event of certain circumstances, such as an auto accident or a damaged home due to water damage or fire. However, many people do not know how to file an insurance claim effectively when the need arises and may end up paying more money in the long run. This guide will show you how to file a homeowners insurance claim, an auto insurance claim, or life insurance claim.
What is an Insurance Claim?
An insurance claim is a formal request for reimbursement from the insurer on behalf of the policyholder who has suffered some form of damage.
Insurance claims come in three forms: Homeowners claims are used when a natural disaster damages your property. Auto claims are used when you’ve been in an accident that was not your fault and your car needs to be repaired. Life claims are filed when you want to be reimbursed for funeral expenses. You may also need a life claim if someone close to you died because of medical negligence or malpractice.
How to file a homeowners insurance claim
The following steps directs you to successfully complete filing a homeowners insurance claim.
1. Survey the damage and file a police report if required.
If your home was broken into or vandalized, you will will be needing a police report. But if it was destroyed by a natural disaster, you won’t be needing a police report. Should you speak to a police, ensure that you keep a record of it for future reference.
2. Contact your insurance company.
3. Document the damage
Every item that was damaged in the home should be taken record of including the dates and time of the damage. Ensure to keep every damaged item intact, you may be needing them for your claim.
4. Repair what you can and keep all receipts.
If there are items in your home that you can repair yourself which can help in preventing further damage to your home, please do. However, keep every receipts intact as you will be needing them to request for reimbursement from your insurance company, for the repairs made.
5. Meet with your insurance adjuster
After submitting your claim, the insurance company can send your insurance adjuster to inspect and verify all you’ve submitted in your claim.
6. While waiting for the outcome of your submitted claim, take that time to check the prices of repair costs, so as have an idea of what to negotiate for.
7. Get your compensation check after it’s been approved, and repair the damaged items and replace the irreparable.
How to file an auto insurance claim
Filing a car insurance claim is an inevitable part of owning a car. When you get into an accident and your car needs work, you need to know what steps are involved in filing that claim so that the process is as seamless as possible. These steps will apply regardless of whether you have a rental while your car is being repaired.
1. Report the incident. As soon as you can after the crash, report it to your agent or insurance company if they weren’t there with you at the time. The sooner they know about it, the sooner they can start handling it for you.
2. Give them all of the information they need – this includes where and when it happened, how many people were injured, how many vehicles were involved and which one had coverage on it at the time of collision, etc.
3. If your car was damaged, but not smashed, you’ll need to provide proof that it was in an accident by providing either photos of the damage or paperwork from a garage detailing repairs. If they determine that it’s worth repairing rather than replacing, they’ll give you a quote for repair costs and tell you when it’s ready to be picked up
How to file a life insurance claim
The process for filing a life insurance claim is the same regardless of the type of policy you have: you should notify your carrier right away and provide as much information as possible in order to start the process. The two most important items they’ll need are your policy number and proof of death. Other documentation like copies of death certificates, wills, funeral service agreements and burial plots can be helpful depending on how your beneficiary would like their funds disbursed.
