No one wants to make a claim on their insurance because once you do, it will have an adverse effect on your insurance policy as well and raise your premiums. But when there comes a time that you need to make an insurance claim, it’s important that you know what to do or to expect. Having an insurance provider you can trust is also very important.

In this article, we’ll talk more about insurance claims including how do they work, how to make a claim, and what you need to do to make a claim.

How Do Insurance Claims Work

First of all, you need understand how do insurance claims exactly work and how they can help you.

  • If you’re involved in a car accident, you have to notify your insurance provider about it as soon as possible. If the damages to your vehicle exceed your deductible, you’ll want to file an insurance claim. Once you file a claim, your insurance company will start to investigate the accident you were involved in. A claim number and a claims adjuster will be assigned to handle your claim. The claims adjuster will be the one to determine how much your insurance provider will have to pay you for your claim.
  • If you’re making a home insurance claim on your insurance company, your insurer will send a claims adjuster to your house to inspect your property. The claim adjuster will determine how much your insurance company will have to pay you for your claim. You will receive an advance against the total amount that your insurance provider has to pay you. You can use this advance to start your home repairs or renovation. If both your house and your belongings are damaged, you may receive two payments — one for your personal belongings and the other for the house.

What You Need to Do Before Filing an Insurance Claim

Before you can file an insurance claim, there are a couple of things that you must do.

  • Document the damages as much as you can. Try to document your damages as much as you can as it can be really helpful in making a claim later on. This will serve as your evidence that proves your claim to your insurance provider.
  • Inventory your losses. Make a list of all your losses and damages. You will be able to use this as evidence as well to prove your claim.
  • Avoid making repairs. Avoid making any repairs as much as possible unless they are needed to prevent further damage, especially if you haven’t contacted your insurance provider yet. Try to leave damages as they are until you’ve contacted your insurance provider about your situation.

Your insurance provider will also be asking you a couple of questions so be sure to have answers to these as well. You will mostly be asked about the details of what happened to you and what kind of actions you’ve taken so far to fix the problem.

How to File an Insurance Claim

There are three basic steps to follow when a filing claim.

  • Notify your insurance provider about what happened to you immediately.
  • Your insurance company will appoint a claims adjuster to determine how much your insurer will have to pay you.
  • Your insurance provider will then send you a check through your mail or deposit the payment directly into your bank account.

Keep in mind though that if you haven’t met your deductible (a specific amount you have to pay first before you can receive insurance from your insurance provider), it will be taken out from your claim money that you’re going to receive from your insurance company. For example, if your deductible is $1,000 and your insurance company is paying you $2,000 towards your claim, you’ll only receive $1,000.

Will My Insurance Premiums Increase After Making a Claim

It depends. Most insurance providers offer premium discounts based on a “no claims” rating.

  • If your insurance providers employ this kind of system, you won’t most likely see an increase in your monthly premiums after making a claim. But you will lose your discount though, which will increase your overall insurance costs.
  • If you made multiple claims within one year, or if you’ve had claims made in consecutive years, there’s a big possibility that you’ll have to pay higher monthly premiums.

The change in your monthly premiums will depend on how often you make a claim and how much your claims are. Most insurance providers often consider individuals who make multiple claims as being high risk, so their monthly premiums are higher than someone who is considered to be a low-risk individual.

Insurance claims can cover pretty much all of your losses and damages including the death of a loved one, car accidents, personal injuries, home renovation, etc. You can use an insurance claim to help you recover from your losses and damages so you can move on and live life normally again. If you don’t have faith in your insurance provider or if you can’t get in touch with them when a time comes that you needed them, you might want to contact an insurance claim attorney from Brauns Law, PC. Brauns Law PC have skilled and experienced insurance claims attorney who will protect your legal rights and look out for your best interests for a very good price! Contact Brauns Law, PC now to help you with your insurance claims!
 
 
About the author: Jean Clark loves anything to do with law and with business. Her keen interest with the field allows her to make sure her pieces are both informative and entertaining. She is family oriented, and she loves spending her free time with her family.