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Thankfully, business insurance provides important protections for when things go wrong.
Whether it’s a pet owner slipping and falling in your clinic, a dog owner saying you gave them bad care advice, or something else, settling a business insurance claim quickly and smoothly could help you avoid unnecessary headaches.
If you’re about to make a claim, or just want to be prepared in case you one day need to, here are 5 tips for working with your insurance company after a disaster.
When you make an insurance claim, you need to provide evidence to back it up. Whatever you can gather to help your insurer understand what happened and assess the damage may be helpful.
Depending on the type of claim you’re filing, this might include things such as photos or video taken after an incident, security camera footage, witness testimony, purchase invoices, faulty equipment, or damaged property.
Insurance claims should always be filed as soon as possible. This helps the insurer’s claims team determine coverage, accurately assess the value of the claim and approve the payout in a timely manner.
Making a claim often involves paperwork, and it’s important to fill out the necessary forms fully and accurately. Mistakes or incomplete forms can slow down the claims process and create unnecessary delays to receiving compensation.
Being open with your insurance company and responsive to their requests can help the claims process go more smoothly. They may ask for more information after you’ve submitted your claim to help them assess how the policy responds and the applicable payout figure.
If you’re unable to provide some information, be honest. Failing to cooperate with your insurer or providing false information could result in your claim being denied or a reduction in the payout amount. Documents get lost, items are accidentally thrown out, or you may simply not know the answer to a question they’re asking. It’s better to let them know this than to ignore their calls or make something up.
While it’s important to cooperate with your insurance company during the claims process, it is okay to push back respectfully if you feel you’re entitled to more compensation.
If your claim is rejected or you disagree with the damage assessment, you can appeal and even lodge a complaint. Submitting purchase receipts and invoices or getting a second opinion damage assessment might help make your case.
After your claim is approved and business is back to normal, take some time to review your insurance policy. Your policy might look different now that you’ve viewed it through the process of making a claim.
Are you covered for the right things?
Do you have enough coverage?
Are there waiting periods?
These are some of the questions that could help you decide if your policy is still a good fit. It may be time to change your coverage levels or shop around for a new policy.
Making a business insurance claim is often the last thing you want to be doing. However, following these tips could make the process easier, so you can get back to working with your furry clients and their humans.
Head to www.PetProfessional.com.au to get quotes on your insurance and use promo code WWG at checkout for a discount on the cost of your Professional Indemnity insurance.
Connect with Jane Mason, BizCover:
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