Making an insurance claim can be a long and tedious process, and is generally not a very enjoyable experience for most. However, there are many ways you can improve the process of claiming compensation for an accident, ranging from collecting documentation along the way to negotiating settlement offers near the end. If you are needing to make an insurance claim, read on to find out more about how to improve your insurance claim process.
Keep All Documentation Relevant to the Insurance Claim
Your insurance companies will undoubtedly require many details from you when you are lodging an insurance claim. Depending on the type of insurance claim, this can vary from medical records, to receipts of related expenses, to the contact details of any witness. If you make a habit to collect all paperwork and other records along the way, and not just when you need to make a claim, this will save you a lot of time down the track. Also, the more documentation you collect along the way, the more capable you are of substantiating your claims to the insurance company. As a result, a more accurate and fair compensation payout may be awarded.
Make an Insurance Claim as Soon as Possible
There can be strict time limits as to when you can lodge an insurance claim, and these time limits can differ depending on the type of accident or insurance policy you hold. To ensure that you have not run out of time to lodge a claim and accordingly lost the chance to receive compensation, you should endeavour to lodge a claim as soon as you can.
Seek Legal Help From Compensation Experts
Compensation lawyers are qualified professionals who are constantly dealing with the insurance claim process. It is worth considering hiring a compensation lawyer as this insurance claim process can be highly complex and hard to comply with for those inexperienced in this area. Compensation lawyers can also help to negotiate with your insurance company on your behalf, and help to pursue legal action where necessary.
Remain Honest Throughout the Process
Lying to your insurance provider about certain details can prove to be a costly mistake and can result in fines, a refusal of your claims or even serious legal action.
If you have lied about your history, and the insurance company would not have insured you in the first place had they known the truth about you, then they may be entitled to deny your claims. Always bear in mind that insurers share information about their clients and their history of claims over insurance databases. It is common for them to consult these databases to validate the information you have provided, so you should not aim to hide any information or past claims in order to make any saving in premiums.
Insurance companies also have many mechanisms of determining the true story of events in regards to an insurance claim – including contacting witnesses, or accessing surveillance footage. If your story does not add up, there is a chance that the insurance company will catch you out.
Do Not Speculate
You should never feel the need to speculate about things you are unsure of. Your insurance company may ask you questions that you might not know the answer to, such as how much compensation you think you are entitled to, and in those cases, you should simply state that you do not know instead of offering speculative answers.
Know Your Worth and Be Prepared to Negotiate
You should know how much compensation is fair for your situation, as insurance companies tend to offer a low compensation settlement from the start. In fact, it’s not uncommon for insurance companies to offer you a quick settlement in the hopes that you will not realise the full extent of your possible damages. Therefore, don’t feel pressured to take the first settlement offer the insurance company gives you. If you are feeling pressured, you can always ask the insurance company to send you a settlement offer in writing, so that you won’t feel the need to make a decision immediately.
If you are seeking experienced injury accident lawyers to help you with your insurance claims, get in touch with Schreuder Partners today.