How to Speed Up Insurance Claims

Two reasons. First, no two claims are ever the same, which means that every case involves a long process of investigation, coupled with endless re-readings of extremely complicated policy documents.

Second, though they ostensibly exist to provide you with a safety net, insurance companies aren’t very fond of paying out any money. They’ll think nothing of letting claims drag on for months, doing all they can to ensure that the settlement you receive is as small as possible. And if they can get away with paying you nothing, even better.

Luckily, there are things you can do to speed up your insurance claim. And at the very least, if you can’t force things to progress any faster, you can at least take action to ensure that you receive the settlement you deserve.

Be Prepared

If you want things to progress smoothly, you’ll need some strong evidence to back up your claim. If you’re insuring valuables, ensure that you keep the receipts, and take lots of photos so you can prove their condition. Also make sure that your policy documents are safely stored in a place where you can quickly and easily access them should you ever need to make a claim.

If you didn’t take these steps, then the bad news is that your claim is probably going to take some time to process. But don’t despair – it’s not too late to take action.

Check Your Policy

Before you file your claim, it’s imperative to ensure that you’re actually covered for the loss you experienced. So take some time to carefully read through your policy. You’ll likely find that it’s full of loopholes, overly complex legalese, and get-out clauses – but among the mess, you may find that you’re not covered after all.

While this would doubtlessly be frustrating, at least you’ll have saved yourself the considerable hassle associated with conscientious insurance claims. But if you find that you have got a case on your hands, then it’s now time to make your claim.

Be Thorough

Provide as much information as you can. If you provide your insurer with insufficient information, prepare to see your claim grind to a halt as they dedicate themselves to gathering the evidence you did not provide.

Be a Nuisance

Ann Robinson used to close episodes of Watchdog by urging viewers to “make a fuss”.

If you want to speed up your insurance claim, you’ll have to channel your inner Ann Robinson.

Persistent voices tend to receive good settlements, so take every opportunity you can to enquire about the progress of your claim – even if it means calling your insurer every single day.

If they want to make things difficult for you, then why shouldn’t you make things difficult for them?

Get Somebody on Your Side

If all this sounds like hard work, that’s because it is.

When you submit an insurance claim, whether it’s related to fire, flood, theft, or otherwise, you’ll have enough on your plate as is. The last thing you want is to have to deal with endless paperwork and unscrupulous insurers.

You’re going to need somebody on your side.

A Harris Balcombe loss assessor will be the only party in the process who can be trusted to act solely with your best interests in mind. And the sooner you contact us, the more help we can be.

Our service includes:

• Preparing, presenting, and negotiating your claim
• Gathering all necessary evidence to support your claim
• Organising any and all required repairs and renovations, and arranging for alternative accommodation where necessary
• Coordinating your insurer and their loss adjusting to ensure that you receive the settlement you deserve

Contact us now for more information on any aspect of insurance claims. For a free consultation, call our 24/7 helpline on 0844 544 1699.