At We Settle Your Claim Law in Alberta, our insurance lawyers will be the first to tell you that settling an insurance claim isn’t always easy — especially when you don’t have the help of a professional who you can trust. As it turns out, there is a lot more to filing insurance claims than meets the eye, which is why insurance attorneys like ours are here to help when you have trouble settling an insurance claim. Whether you are filing a car accident claim, personal injury claim, home insurance claim, or any other kind of insurance claim, here is a bit of advice to follow.
About WSYC Law
Insurance Claims Advice: What You Need To Know
Be Communicative
Sometimes, people who are experiencing issues settling an insurance claim haven’t had much communication with their insurance provider. To resolve an insurance claim, you must first visit with your insurance agent (or an insurance adjuster) to explain what happened, discuss your coverage, and form a plan of action moving forward. If this is where problems occur, consider speaking with the person in charge of the insurance claims department to see if they have a different stance on the issue. If this doesn’t get you anywhere, then it’s time to take further steps and hire an insurance lawyer to help settle your case.
File A Police Report
Communication goes a long way, especially if the authorities are involved. If you are filing a homeowners insurance claim after your house was broken into, for example, the police report should include a first-hand account of what happened, what items were taken, and whether or not anyone was injured. If you are filing a car accident claim, on the other hand, you will need to call the police, recruit a witness, and remain at the scene so you can inform the police about what happened and whose fault it was so they can ensure that the proper steps are taken moving forward. There is hardly any room for debate with your insurance company if the police were on the scene and got all the critical information while it was still fresh in your mind, and this info can be pulled back up and used as proof when settling the claim.
Tell The Truth
It is also important to note that being communicative also means being truthful and consistent with your account of the incident when you present it to the police and your insurance agent. If you caused a car accident because you were intoxicated, on your phone, you violated a traffic law, or were otherwise distracted, this information is critical to relay — and it will resurface eventually if you try to hide it. This sometimes happens when insurance lawyers get involved, as it is our job to discover the truth and get you the compensation you deserve. It’s hard to accomplish this if the insurance agent, the adjuster, and the police have all been given different versions of the story, so save yourself the hassle and be truthful from the start.
Document The Damage
Another critical piece of advice some people forget when filing an insurance claim is documenting all of the damages that have been done to their home, their property, or themself. After all, we carry smartphones with us everywhere we go these days, so if there’s any time to pull out Snapchat or take a selfie, this is it. All jokes aside, documentation is crucial for settling an insurance claim — especially those that involve property damage such as a totaled car, a vandalized house, or even something as small as broken windows.
Review Your Coverage
As with the communication piece, taking the time to review your coverage thoroughly before confronting your insurance agent or adjuster is essential. Got in a car accident? Exchange insurance information, get an officer on the scene to determine who was at fault, then go home and sit down to go over your auto insurance with someone you trust. Did your roommate start a fire by forgetting to blow out a candle before leaving the house? Login to your insurance account online and go over how much coverage you have through your rental insurance policy. While it might sound like a no-brainer, so many people jump the gun and don’t review their coverage before challenging their insurance company.
Hire An Insurance Lawyer
If you’ve found yourself in a position where you have followed all of these pieces of advice and still have yet to settle your insurance claim, you need the help of an experienced insurance lawyer. At We Settle Your Claim Law in Alberta, our insurance attorneys are equipped to help settle any kind of insurance claim, whether that be home, auto, life, workers compensation, or commercial property. We also offer dispute resolution services and are able to help victims of any insured loss, so please don’t hesitate to give us a call!