Top three steps for making a claim

In 2019 alone, roughly 179 billion pounds worth of insurance claims were paid in the UK. Granted, the events of recent years have been unprecedented, but it is these exact events that prompt people to get insured in the first place.

So, if you find that your business needs to make a claim, you may be wondering how best to go about it. In this guide, we will give you our top tips for making a claim with us.

Contents:

1. Top three steps to making a claim.
2. What options do you have if your claim is unsuccessful?
3. Why is it important to check you have the correct insurance cover for your business

Top three steps to making a claim

Before submitting a claim through our website, make sure to review the following tips.

1. Review your insurance policy wording to make sure you’re covered
   There is a wide range of policies that cover a variety of different things. This could be what the policy protects in terms of personnel, objects, property, or any other physical items that fall under the protection of your policy. There are strict terms as to what an individual policy protects.Before making a claim, take the time to review your policy in detail to confirm that you are covered. The devil is in the detail, so make sure to pay attention to the wording which will be detailed throughout the policy.If you are uncertain, you can contact us for further clarification. This may not indicate whether your claim will be accepted, but simply that you have coverage for a given event or incident.
2. Record evidence of damage or loss
   In the event of an incident that you wish to make a claim for, it’s important to provide as much evidence as possible. Dates, times, and locations are essential information to begin with.Next, you will need specific information that is related to an incident. For example, in the case of a fire, you will need to provide evidence that explains the cause of the fire and the damage it has caused. A report from the emergency services will contain some of this information.In the event of a theft, loss, or other anti-social behaviour that affects your business, similar evidence will need to be provided. A police report, as well as any security footage you may have, will be beneficial to your claim.The more evidence you have the better. It’s better to provide too much, rather than not having enough relevant information to support your claim.
3. Contact your insurer and file the claim
   Once you’ve checked your policy, and gathered evidence to support your claim, it’s time to contact your insurer.Claims can be submitted online and will require you to fill out some forms. You will be contacted soon after by a representative of your insurer, and they will take you through the claims process from there.

What options do you have if your claim is unsuccessful?

There are several reasons why your claim may be denied. Some of the most common reasons are:

• Issues, inaccuracies, or omissions in your application.
• You didn’t follow the claims process correctly.
• Incorrect or inaccurate information.
• You don’t have the correct policy.
• Not enough evidence.

If your claim is denied, you can review your application and your policy to see if there is anything you overlooked. If there is something you would like to make a complaint about, you can contact your insurer and speak to their complaints team. This can be done over the phone or in writing. If you choose to do so in writing, make the intent of the formal complaint clear and include any evidence that supports your dispute.

Another avenue you can explore is to get an independent assessment, which will be done by a loss assessor. A loss adjuster is different, this is someone who works for an insurance company. A loss assessor will charge a fee.

You can also take your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. This is an independent, free service, that is available to the public. It is designed to investigate complaints made by individuals against financial companies.

Seeking legal advice can also be beneficial.

Why it’s important to check you have the correct insurance cover for your business

Why do you check the weather before you leave the house? To ensure that you’re prepared. After all, no one wants to get caught in the rain without an umbrella or a jacket. The same thing applies to your insurance.

If you don’t have the correct insurance for your business, you won’t be covered for certain unfortunate events that may occur. If you’re uncertain if you have the correct coverage that you need, start by reading through your policy so you can understand what your policy entails.

Alternatively, you can contact us to see if you have the coverage that you need. If you operate in the retail sector, we have a great resource here to help you. Another one of our resources is this guide for landlords.

Conclusion

Despite how it seems, the claims process is more straightforward than you may have previously thought. By following this guide, you’ll put yourself in a strong position to make a claim. Help is never far away, and you are always welcome to contact our team. Looking for ways to reduce your business insurance premiums? Our risk management specialists at Brisco Business can assist you.

Dean Laming

Dean is a Chartered Insurance Broker with more than 25 years insurance experience. Through various underwriting, operational and management roles, Dean has built up extensive knowledge of how to run a business and is now Managing Director of Brisco Business, part of the wider Henry Seymour Group.

All articles by Dean Laming