In Ireland, insurance claims are a necessary part of daily life. You may need to make a claim for an accident or theft, or simply because you have had to replace something that was damaged or lost. It is important that you keep all relevant information and documentation in order to ensure your claim is successful. The first step is always to contact your insurance provider as soon as possible after the incident occurred.
Contact Your Insurance Company Immediately
You should contact your insurance company as soon as possible after an accident. The longer you wait, the less likely they are to be able to help you with your claim. If you don’t notify them of the accident, they may not pay out on any claims that arise from it.
Retain All Related Documentation in Relation to Your claim.
With this in mind, it’s important to keep all receipts and correspondence related to your claim. This includes:
- Insurance claims documents from your insurance company
- Correspondence between yourself and the insurance company, including emails and phone calls
- Correspondence between yourself and your solicitor or representative if you have one
- Any documentation provided by other parties involved in the incident (e.g., medical professionals)
Insurance Brokers Can Help With Any Paperwork Involved in a Claim
If you’ve filed a claim in the past, you may have found that the process can be complicated and confusing. Many Irish insurance brokers, such as McCarthy insurance and similar insurance companies, can help you understand and complete all of the paperwork involved in filing a claim.
They can also help get the most money possible for your claim by finding policies that cover more than one area of loss. Insurance brokers are trained professionals who are familiar with all types of insurance policies, so they will be able to find ways to maximise coverage while minimising your out-of-pocket expenses.
Even though finding an insurance broker is not always necessary when filing an insurance claim is often helpful if you need assistance with understanding or completing paperwork or obtaining more comprehensive coverage than your current policy provides.
Take Detailed Notes on Any Conversations with the insurance Company or Insurer’s Representative
When speaking to the insurance company or an insurer’s representative, take detailed notes on the conversation. Write down the date, time and name of the person you spoke to.
Write a summary of what was said (don’t write your response – just write their words verbatim). Write down any promises that were made by this person or organisation. Record any instructions given by this person or organisation and any information they gave you (for example, they may have told you how long it would take for a payment to be processed). Finally, record whether or not there were any conditions attached to their offer/promise/instruction etc…
Prepare Yourself for Rejections or Delays
When you submit your insurance claim, it can take a bit of time for the company to get back to you. Sometimes, they may even reject your claim entirely. If this happens, it’s important that you understand why:
Request more information if necessary. There may be something about your policy or situation that the adjuster hasn’t taken into account yet. You should request copies of any documentation that might help inform their decision before submitting a new claim.
Know what other options are available to you if necessary. There are other options available such as appealing directly through an independent arbitration panel instead of having an unfair process repeat itself over again each time someone else rejects/denies their claims too.
Get Garda Statements
If you’ve been involved in an accident, which is defined as any incident that happens when a person or property comes into contact with another person or property, the police will generally be called to the scene. The Gardaí (the Irish Police) will take down all relevant information and provide what’s known as a Section 16 report.
This form is used to record personal details such as your name and address, as well as details of what happened in the accident: who was involved and where it happened.
If you’ve been injured, they may ask if you would like to make a statement. This allows them to gather more detailed information about what happened but isn’t compulsory unless there are injuries involved or someone has died. The officer at the scene can advise on whether making one is required by law.
Conclusion
If you take the time to gather all of the required documentation, it will make it much easier for your insurance company or representative to process your claim. This will also help avoid delays in payment and ensure that you get a fair settlement for any damage caused by the incident.
