Having insurance can be an effective way to protect yourself financially from many different hazards. For instance, your car insurance policy may cover the cost to repair your vehicle if it is scratched, hit or stolen. Seeing a doctor may be more affordable if you have a health insurance policy. What are some ways that you can bolster the odds of an insurance claim on one of your policies being approved by the insurance company?
Make Sure That You’re Covered
A homeowners insurance policy covers general damage done to your home by a storm or covers you if someone gets hurt on your property. However, it doesn’t cover damage done by floods or other fluke incidents. Therefore, the first step in the claims process is to make sure that your policy covers what you are making a claim for.
Provide Sufficient Evidence to Bolster Your Insurance Claim
The next step is to provide as much evidence as possible to prove that your claim should be approved. For instance, you may want to provide photos of a car accident scene to demonstrate that it was damaged in a crash that wasn’t your fault. Witness statements and a police report can also help to verify that your insurance claim is valid and should be covered under your policy. In many cases, you will be asked to give a statement to the insurance company. Typically, it is in your best interest to provide such a statement, but you are not required to if you are taking legal action and are represented by an attorney.
Insurance Companies Know Fraud When They See It
While it may be tempting to embellish your story to see if you can get more money from your insurance company, they can spot fraud relatively well. If you say that you got whiplash from an accident that occurred at two miles per hour, that may look suspicious. The same is true if you claim a back injury and then post photos afterward of yourself playing golf with friends.
While you should never hold back from pursuing legitimate damages, you should always be honest and cooperative as possible with insurance adjusters and other professionals. Doing so will improve the odds that your claim is approved and that it is approved promptly. This may make it easier to get medical treatment or replace lost or stolen property.
It is always worthwhile to have insurance if you own something expensive to replace or repair if it gets lost, stolen or damaged. However, there is no guarantee that a claim will be approved. By providing as much evidence as possible and cooperating whenever possible, there is a good chance that a valid claim will be approved in a reasonable amount of time.
Herndon Carr
10501 Six Mile Cypress Pky #101
Fort Myers, FL 33966
239-939-1996