Discover common mistakes that you should try and avoid and get your claims paid or defended
Making an insurance claim can be stressful and people are often under immense pressure when doing so. We set out below some common mistakes to avoid when making a claim in order to help get your claim paid or defended.
1. Failure to report immediately. You might hope the problem will go away and by not reporting it your rates might not increase. The former is possible yet the latter is unlikely. I cannot think of a single benefit of not reporting an incident immediately.
2. Not investigating the cause of an incident. Near misses should also be investigated to assess trends and identify unsafe practices. The supervisor of the area where the incident occurred is best placed to determine whether an injury was plausible, preventable and how to prevent recurrence.
3. Perfect documentation will mean a smooth and swift settlement. Anything else will cause delays. Health & Safety risk assessments allied to electrical checks, training records and asset registers can contribute.
4. Keeping all parties informed can be tricky with insurers, advisers, claimants and other stakeholders involved yet proves vital when settlement looms. This is especially vital when dealing with injury claims. No mutual mystification.
5. Not involving insurers in rehabilitation of an injured party, perhaps a return to work policy is in order. The same could be said of not involving insurers in business regeneration. They have experienced these challenges before.
6. Having a passive attitude to claims. Any incident should be handled proactively to ensure any loss is minimised. Insurers don’t pay out if a situation is allowed to deteriorate.
7. Not enforcing best practice. Ignorance is not bliss. Failure to adhere to rules and regulations is a sure way to reduce your settlement.
common mistakes made when making an insurance claim.
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