How To Make An Insurance Claim

At one point or another, you will find yourself filing an insurance claim on either your medical or casualty/fire insurance. In this article, I'll give you a general overview of what happens, how to prepare to make a claim, and also the documents you need to have prepared to ensure things go smoothly. And forget about what you hear about how cumbersome it is. The process is quite straightforward as long you understand some of the basics.

Understanding That The Burden of Proof Is On You

I can't stress enough on this one. But it's painfully obvious. If you're filing a claim for money with your insurer (or anyone for that matter), you're expected to be able to produce all evidence and proof. Let me give you an example of scenarios and what you should at least be able to produce in the event of a claim;

Medical Claim

• Doctor's Report
• Medical Bills
• Doctor's Prescriptions

Tip: Most health insurers insist on the original receipts for claims. No duplicates or reprints are accepted. This is typically to avoid a double claim for the same treatment, which is usually not allowed by most insurers.

Motor Accident Claims

• Police Report.
• Photographs of the incident (usually taken at the police station, but try to take as many as you possibly can).

Tip: Contact your insurer to recommend a panel workshop for motor claims. The process will be much smoother.

Casualty Insurance 

Again, the documents are straightforward. In most instances, the required documents are the following;

• Police report.
• Invoices/receipts (in case of a burglary, theft, fire, etc). These items should be as detailed as possible to avoid possible disputes.
• Pictures (during break-ins, floods, property damage, etc).
• Complaint/letter from the solicitor (for allegations etc).

Tip: Once you have the proper documents for your claim, it will be much easier for the insurer to work on it.

In most instances, the biggest problem I've witnessed over the years is when claimants do not take the time to prepare all required documents. This is extremely frustrating as it slows the claim process and wastes everybody's time. Here are some of the more common ones that's always a headache;

• Lopsided photographs of documents taken from phone cameras instead of a properly scanned document. 
• Invoices and receipts that contain no details except for the final price—we've all seen that somewhere. It turns fishy quickly, and it's difficult to take your claim seriously. Get the right documents in place.
• Incomplete forms with missing details are another common reason for stalling claims. If you're unsure of some of the questions, ask your agency for assistance.
• Generic police reports are another pet peeve. Although most officers are very helpful and help you write the report, it is best to take the time to write it yourself. I've seen reports that went something like this,

"I was sitting around, minding my own business. And when I turned around, my bag was missing....."

Reports like these are hard to justify, especially when making a claim. Most claims should be able to demonstrate a criminal element. For example, a break-in occurred, and the locks were broken, etc). This is just a general rule of thumb, of course. But you get the point. Police reports should have a clear description of the incident. Writing it yourself is best. You were present at the incident. The officer was not.

The best approach is to write the report yourself, then take it to the station. If writing is not your strong suit, you can always use apps like Grammarly or Google Translate to help you create a proper report. Again, this is preparation on your part.

Contacting Your Insurance Provider

Once you have gathered all the required documentation, it's time to contact your insurance provider. You can do this by phone, email, or through their online portal. For most insurers, you may be required to go through an agent to file your claims. Call the insurer to enquire about the best way to file your claim.

The process is straightforward from here. Submit your claim and check back on the system in a few days. I've always found 4-5 days to be the sweet spot for checking on claim statuses.

So there you go. Here are some quick tips on how to file your insurance claims and some of the common issues that slow down the claim process. Don't cut corners. Take the time to understand the requested information and be transparent with your claims.

By the way, don't forget to check out the rest of our articles in our blog section. And don't forget to check our Essential Insurance Guide E-book for more information on insurance-related matters.

Happy Claiming!