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Valuable tips about insurance claims
According to the Irish Insurance Federation inspite of the high rate of motor accidents it is surprising how many people do not know what to do if they are involved in a car accident. The Federation finds that the same confusion applies to house insurance claims.
A step-by-step guide, entitled Making a Claim, has just (December 1997) been produced by the Irish Insurance Federation (IIF). According to the booklet, in the event you are involved in an accident, you need to exchange information with the other driver and contact your insurer as quickly as possible. Get your insurer to send a claim form.
They recomend that you should not admit liability or accept blame and that you are only required to call the Garda (police) if someone has been injured. They also recomend that if you have a camera or video in the car, that you take pictures before the vehicles are moved.
Your insurer may recommend a garage to repair your car, but you may want to bring your car to a reputable independent mechanic for a second opinion. Be sure to get a written estimate. Having done this, contact the insurer again to provide them with the estimate for repair and for authorisation to repair.
If the damage is minor the Federation suggests that you consider pay for the repairs yourself to protect any no-claims bonus you may have. The federation's brochure also deals with third party claims and what to do if your car is stolen.
According to the Federation your insurer should also be contacted as soon as possible if you have a home or contents claim. You should be provided with a claim form by your insurance company and may be required to provide proof of good faith of the claim - such as a police report in the event of a burglary.
It is you responsibility to arrange to have any immediate damage repaired (such as broken windows or door locks) but in the case of larger repairs or a claim for replacement you should obtain written estimates and provide these to the insurer first.
The Federation recommends that consumers avoid automatically renewing their household insurance without reviewing it first. According to industry estimates 90 per cent of people have underinsured their contents and could get an nasty surprise when they make a claim. If you are under insured only a portion of your loss will be covered by your insurance company. You will be your own insurer for the balance.
Finally, the IIF's brochure includes useful tips about insuring your contents:
keep receipts for large or valuable items;
keep a list of all your valuable items;
get jewellery, paintings and valuable ornaments valued;
take photographs of jewellery and ornaments;
etch ID number on valuable items.
Help others to make an informed decision
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