4 Tips to Help You Claim Insurance Benefits

By Diana Joseph

Chris was involved in an accident and couldn't go to work for a few weeks. He wasn't worried since he had accident insurance which entitled him to claim insurance benefits for that period. However, when Chris' claim was processed, the claim amount he received was much lower than what he asked for.

Why did this happen? In Chris' case, he made a few mistakes while filing his claim. You can prevent the same thing from happening to you by following these simple tips while claiming insurance benefits.

Tip 1: Submit valid documentation

The most common reason for reduced insurance benefits from claims is insufficient documentation. Insurance companies rely on the claimant's lack of legal knowledge to drive down claim amounts. You can avoid this by carefully reading the fine print in your policy and providing complete and up-to-date documentation as required. A better option would be to engage the services of an injury claims lawyer who can help you with the required claim procedure.

Tip 2: Back up your claim with evidence

Ensure that you provide all necessary evidence to substantiate your claim for insurance benefits. This includes medical reports, doctor's bills, recent paychecks (to calculate income lost), police statements, etc. Excluding any relevant bit of evidence may make a big difference to your claim.

Tip 3: Prepare for routine checks

Remember, the insurance company is not your friend. When an insurance agent calls you, it is his job to get you to settle for a lower claim. Your accident lawyer can help you prepare for these calls by guiding you on how much information you can divulge and trick questions to avoid.

Tip 4: Be honest with your claim

This may seem obvious, but it is actually one of the most important factors in claiming insurance benefits. If the insurance company's enquiries fail to verify the information you have presented, you could wind up with little or no insurance benefits at all. In addition, you may even be in trouble for filing a fraudulent claim.

Diana Joseph has an in-depth knowledge in dealing with injury claims. She has written numerous articles on injury claims issues, particularly those involving car accident and other topics of claims. Please contact her for further information on claims related issues.