The claims inspection process is the first step taken by an insurer to make sure that an accurate claims settlement can be done. The information shared here would help you to understand a claims inspection process.
What should you do when you meet with a road accident or get some other kind of property damage covered by your insurance company? Should you approach the insurer for inspection? Well, the process for a claim’s settlement is easy but understanding it first-hand could be a little difficult. So here we are sharing a few things to make you aware about the claims process either for your vehicle accident or property damage and how to deal with a claim inspection.
Why Insurance Company Complete Inspection?
Your insurer will definitely be ready to pay a genuine amount for your damage. But before the settlement, there are few rules and regulations that your insurance company has to follow to prevent insurance frauds. The company needs to clarify that the damage information provided by you is real and matches the accident/damage description. A claims inspection process also helps the insurance company to determine that there is no inclusion of forebear damages that could not be a part of the claims. The inspection also helps insurers to determine an accurate estimate about the vehicle or any other property damage and repair, etc. How to deal with a claims inspection? Read the information shared below to help you understand the process better.
Read Your Insurance Policy carefully or ask Your Agent Tell everything about it to you
You would need to know all about your insurance policy before buying it. Please have the print copy of your policy and take some time to read it carefully to understand all the terms and conditions of the settlement clearly. What will it cover as damage? How much will be your deductibles and the repair cost? You will need to get the answers for all these queries beforehand. You can also call your insurance agent to know all about your policy. If your agent gives you an appointment time, you note down your queries on a paper in advance so that you get all your doubts and question cleared in one go.
Make Quick Notes of Everything
Whenever you talk to your insurance agent, make some notes to understand your plan better. Having your own record would help you to prevent any kind of confusion in the later stage. This would also help you know about the repair process and related cost, etc.
Do Your Research
Do your research and make sure that your insurance agent offers you the best plan. To be sure, ask him to provide you everything in writing with the related detail.
Get Prepared for an Inspection
The inspection is the first step from every insurance company to make an accurate insurance claim settlement. In most cases, the insurance companies want to take a look at the damaged vehicle or the location of an accident on the same day though it will depend upon the circumstances and the description of your claim. Often an insurance agent asks the below listed questions when performing a claims inspection:
- Where is accident or damage happen?
- What happened in the accident?
- Was anyone injured during accident?
How to Deal with a Claims Inspection Process Effectively?
Inform Insurer As Soon As possible: Try to inform your insurance company about the incident as soon as possible. Different companies follow different inspection process to assess the damage. Your early intimation to the company will increase your chances of getting paid quickly.
Be Prepared to Argue Your Side: When the insurance inspector will visit the location, be prepared to defense your side with real information and facts. He/she will ask you a number of questions to estimate the damage correctly or underestimate the damage. In some cases, the settlement payment can be negotiable, and your insurance agent is one who can assist you get more appropriate payment for your damages.
Document Everything: When you buy a motor insurance plan, take a photo copy of your insured property or vehicle (your property or car etc.). This will help you during the time when your insurance adjuster visits your accident location or property damage site which will look totally different after the occurrence of the unpleasant incident. You can show the agent different sets of ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos to clarify everything. Also, don’t forget to take photos all through the inspection process to avoid any kind of misinterpretation.
Try to Provide Evidence: The insurance adjuster may consider different things as evidence. He may click the pictures of the site or can record statements from eyewitnesses to elaborate the damage correctly. He could also try some other tricks too to verify the facts so that the company’s money can be saved. Whatever the steps are followed by the insurance company, the purpose of the each one would be to estimate the damage correctly.
Be Prepared for Follow up Process: When the inspection is done, the agent will explain the entire estimate to you verbally as well as in the form of a quote document. Compare the mentioned estimates with your insurance document so that you can get the maximum benefits for which you are liable. Once you are satisfied with the claim estimate, you can sign the document. You may also need to provide some documents for the release of the damage costs. However, you need to be patient as the whole process may take some time.