Property Insurance Claims - Take Photos

I just handled a burglary loss for a very nice woman in Atlanta. She decided to go to the market at about 8:30 pm on a Wednesday evening in late May. She began to drive toward the market and noticed four teenage boys standing in a park very near her home. She hesitated for a moment, then continued to the market.

When she returned at 8:55 pm, she found that someone had broken through her back door and stole jewelry, cash, a TV, a laptop and some expensive handbags. Her claim totaled over $20,000. Only $1,500 of that were for repairs to the back door.

I provided a Contents Inventory Worksheet so she could list all the items stolen. She submitted the worksheet quickly. Unfortunately, she had no receipts or any other kind of documents to prove that she actually owned the stolen items. Even photos of her stuff would have helped to prove she owned it. But no photos either.

The insurance company wanted to pay some of the claim, but insisted that she provide some documentation. She could not. The insurance company denied the Contents portion of the loss, and paid her only $500 after assessing her $1,000 deductible.

Gentle readers, this is not an isolated incident in the claims process for property claims. Insurance companies are serious about holding down their claims cost. And it is YOUR responsibility to prove your claim.

You have a legal contract with the insurance company. Part of that legal contract requires you to provide proof of ownership of your contents. The insurance companies give a lot of latitude in these matters, but remember that they don't have to.

Most people are not going to create a master file of all their receipts for the stuff they buy, and then keep that file in a fireproof box or off-site. So, most people who have a fire, flood, burglary, hurricane or water loss are going to be faced with proving ownership of their personal property.

So, remember this: The NUMBER ONE most important thing that you can do to prove ownership of your personal property is to PHOTOGRAPH IT.

Get a camcorder, or digital camera, or even disposable cameras. Go through your home or business and capture your personal property "on film." Do it once a year, and then remember to update after every major purchase...like a new computer or flat-screen TV. Don't leave anything out. Even photo inside drawers and closets.

Take the photos or video and place them off-site. I recommend a safe deposit box. Then, in case of a disaster, you have some visual proof of your loss. You could review the video or photos and compile your inventory list. You could submit a copy of the photos or video as proof of ownership.

The photo/video process takes me an hour when I do it. And that's filming in average sized home. Don't take a chance by being unprepared. It could cost you tens of thousands of dollars at claim time.

source: www.ezinearticles.com

How to Make No Win No Fee Claim For Slip Trip and Whiplash Injury!

It is likely that you may with an accident while driving a car. You may suffer an injury while driving a car or if you are hit by another car while driving. It is also likely that you may meet with an accident due to unsafe road safety measures. Most of the accidents also result when a car hits from the backend. This kind of injury causes serious problems.

If you were driving a car and are hit by another car or vehicle, it is likely that you may suffer from whiplash injuries. These types of injuries are serious. The impact of the injury is such that you may experience disability for lifetime. The effect of the injury is felt at a later stage. Soon after an accident, you may experience some kind of pain in the head. You may also experience dizziness. Over a period of time, these injuries can become serious.

If you or any of your family members has met with a car accident, you can make 100% personal compensation claim. This will help you get the whole amount of compensation. If you are confused as to how to make a claim, you can seek help from accident claims specialists. They can guide you get compensation in a short period. Moreover, they will also provide information on how to make a claim and the intricacies involved in making a claim.

Apart from these kinds of situations, you may also meet with an accident due to some unpredictable situations. Bad weather conditions, negligence on part of the driver, improper roads, can all lead to an accident. You need not suffer for the negligence of someone. You can easily make a claim by seeking help from accident claims specialists. They can guide on the procedure to be followed to make a claim. This will ease your task of making a claim.

The compensation amount that you can claim depends on the extent of the injury suffered. If you can provide medical reports that can state the cause of injury, you can make a claim quickly. The compensation amount would be awarded at the end of the case. The amount that you can look forward to receive depends on a number of factors. Circumstances such as the pain, suffering or loss of amenity you went through because of the accident injury are all taken into consideration. For you to make a proper claim, your attorney will need to obtain a medical report confirming your medical history in connection for what you are claiming for.

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Tell the Truth When it Comes to Insurance

Insurances are increasing their efforts to stop "desperate" customers obtaining dishonest savings on their home and car policies as the credit crunch worsens. Concerned that financial stress will encourage some to lie on their proposals to qualify for cheaper cover, insurers are calling up customers to challenge information that they have put on their quotes. These methods come in to force as one insurer states a 30 per cent increase in suspect claims.

The country's leading insurer, is spearheading the crackdown. Since September the company has seen a steady rise in applicants being dishonest on their proposals, tantamount to underwriting fraud.

The Director of motor pricing at one of the leading insurance companies, says: "In a desperate attempt to slash the price of motor insurance premiums, people are declaring false information perhaps unaware that their insurance may be invalid as a consequence." He reckons this is costing motor insurance customers who are honest around 50 to 60 pounds each per policy.

As households are under increasing pressure to find savings, the insurance company has improved its systems to detect policies that are purchased using fabricated data. It has added more criteria to its list for working out an applicant's "personal fraud score", or propensity to be dishonest. One example that might provoke suspicion is a family who has three cars registered to just two parents, where a teenager has not been listed as a main driver yet lives at the same address.

"In these cases, an underwriter may telephone a customer for more information," said the Insurance Company. This will not affect the majority of customers, who are honest, but if the company is suspicious they will telephone more frequently.

Last year, a big high street insurance company identified 22,500 fraudulent claims covering commercial property, liability, travel, motor and household, with a total worth of 170 million pounds. Dishonest motor claims accounted for around one fifth of this figure at 77 million pounds.

During the first six months of the previous year, the insurance company had already detected fraudulent claims worth about 100 million pounds and estimates this figure will rise. Other insurers are using tactics to improve their detection of underwriting fraud, including insisting brokers process applications thoroughly.

More prevalent than underwriting fraud is claims fraud and as this is known to rise in times of economic downturn. A motor and home insurer, has reported a 28 per cent year-on-year increase in suspect claims.

In the main these consist of household claims for accidental damage or lost items like jewellery or handbags, according to a, claims fraud investigation manager. He maintains that people see these items as relatively easy to claim for but says customers who have a claims history are now facing closer scrutiny.

Since the last recession in the 1990s, the industry has built up better fraud detection procedures, such as sharing data held on the Claims Underwriting Exchange, a central information bank of incidents in motor, home and personal injury/industrial illness.

They are also aware of new ways for customers to be dishonest on their quotes, for example individuals inputting changing details into price comparison websites to acquire cheaper cover.

The ABI says failing, on purpose, to disclose all relevant facts at the proposal stage may mean that the policy would be declared invalid if a claim was made. As a minimum, the payout would be lower because of the additional premium that insurers would have charged in the first place if they been aware of all the facts.

source: www.ezinearticles.com

Insurance and Adequate Cover - Making Sure You Are Sheltered From Financial Hardship

Insurance traditionally falls into the category of a necessary evil. It is that unseen expense that you just cannot get out of paying; the unseen product; the invisible protector of everything you value. In today's economic climate, it is tempting to cut corners on monthly outgoings and to trim the edges of financial commitments to make more cash available for the things in life that are more enjoyable.

Paying the extra cover on the jewelry or the fully comprehensive package for the car instead of the minimum required will not break the bank but perhaps it will make enough difference in payments to be able to take the kids out for a treat or pay for a restaurant meal. In the long run, however, is it worth the risk?

Risk is one of the keywords in insurance matters. The other is assessment, not only that of the insurance company but your own; your own assessment of what your belongings are worth to you personally. If you feel you can live without something in the event of it being stolen, then why bother insuring it? The trick is to know which items you really value and which you could say goodbye to quite happily.

The reality is, though, that most people surround themselves with the things they love in profusion. It is what makes them happy: their books, their paintings, their rugs and china and crystal. All these things are material yet they represent happiness to everyday, ordinary people who dread fire, theft, flood and all the other unpleasant disasters that can occur unexpectedly.

The insurance payments that guarantee replacement of your valuables and assets are part of your own peace of mind. Those pesky payments might not seem much bang for your buck when you cannot afford a new pair of shoes but they are certainly worth every cent should the water tank rupture and send a flood through your vintage record collection.

A sensible insurance plan will cover all your most precious belongings and take a little over for unforeseen accidents. Make sure that your spectacles, your camera and your sunglasses are covered, for instance. They are high risk items but the cover for loss is negligible compared to the cost of replacing them yourself.

Check what items are covered in your policy and read every word of your insurance proposal. You may find items that are not included may be inserted for no extra charge. Insurance companies on the whole aim to please their clients and do not like unexpected disasters any more than you do!

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Wheelie Good Bike Insurance

When student son or daughter leaves home to go off to college, very often their parents' help to subsidize their expenses to a certain extend by allowing them to include the contents of their student homes and such things as bikes on their own current home policy.

This was not the case with one student, who recently had her individually insured cycle stolen whilst she was in the college. She had locked her cycle with a good, secure lock and gone in to lectures. When she returned an hour or so later, the bike had been stolen. Although annoyed and inconvenienced by the matter, she was consoled by the fact that she had had the forethought to arrange insurance through a well known company who marketed themselves to the student population. The bike had been a special present from her parents and she had taken great care with it, but there's a limit to the care you can take to something as portable as a cycle.

When the time came to make a claim, however, she was met with something of a shock - the insurer wouldn't cover her claim because she hadn't removed the front wheel and saddle! The mind boggles at the thought of dozens of students milling around a college, armed with front wheels and saddles, but actually the statement was quite correct. It appears that the condition was in fact stated in the small print in her policy. Whilst accepting that she should have read all the small print, the student felt that this was beyond reason.

Annoyed that, despite the fact that she'd paid over 10 per cent of the bikes value when new for the yearly premium and had agreed to an excess of 10 per cent, she was refused cover for what she thought was a crazy reason, she took the matter further. She felt very strongly that her attention should have been drawn to the very odd proviso at the time of taking out the insurance. The underwriters for the insurers were unsympathetic though eventually the insurers had a change of mind and agreed to pay the claim.

It appears that the impracticability of removing wheels and saddles whenever cyclists needed to leave their bikes anywhere had been realized. As a result of this they had actually brought all policies up to date with this proviso excluded. As a matter of goodwill, they had decided to apply this to our sad student's position too.

Cycling clubs often offer very good deals with cycle insurance too. One environmental group would offer insurance, with a cycle rescue package and third party cover at just over thirty pounds.

Cycling is environmentally friendly, money saving and excellent exercise. In many large towns and cities, it's a much more time efficient than traveling by public transport. Just a word of caution, though - there are more than a hundred deaths every year in the cycling world and more than two thousand serious accidents. You wouldn't drive a car without insurance, so why risk it on a cycle? You're not just talking personal injury either, if you're responsible for causing an accident or damage you could be sued for that too.

An on-line broker is the easiest way of finding the right cycle insurance for you. They've got details of all types of cover at the very best prices.

As explained in this article Bicycles require the right kind of insurance, but this is not the only insurance needed. We should all consider other kinds of insurance, like home insurance and life insurance. Life Insurance is particularly necessary to protect our families in cases of sudden death.

source: ezinearticles.com

Know Why You Must Make Road Accident Compensation Claims!

If you are driving or riding a bike on a road, your life is put to risk. You can certainly not rule out the likelihood of an accident. Bad roads, weather, rash drivers and negligent driving are some of the common causes of accident. No matter how much precaution you exercise, you may end up meeting with an accident.

In case, you are one such victim, you can make a claim. You must understand that you need not suffer for the fault of someone. Making a claim is the simplest way of getting compensation. However, make sure you know what is required to make a claim. Don't miss out submitting any documents and fail to provide any information. If you were to skip proving any vital information, your claims procedure will be slowed. It may also be ruled out in the favour of the other party. Hence, you must not hide any information.

It is believed that an increasing number of people are losing their lives due to road traffic accidents. There are numerous causes of road traffic accidents. They can occur due to the negligent driving or a car hitting another one accidentally from behind. Many of the accidents also occur due to unsafe roads and improper safety measures.

Some of the common causes of road traffic accidents are:

Bad Weather - Many of the accidents also result due to bad weather. If, while driving you face the problem of poor visibility, chances are you may meet with an accident. The driver may be involved in a collision due to poor visibility. Apart from this, the other unexpected weather conditions can be flash flooding and black ice. This can also lean to a road accident.

Driver Error - A substantial number of accidents are also caused due to reckless driving. Most of the accidents occur when a drive is under the influence of alcohol. This may lead to accidents. This kind of situation may arise due to cars being parked too closely, or falling asleep while driving, driving too fast, unsafe overtaking, etc.

Distractions - Distractions can include any other kind of error on part of the driver. The distraction can be caused due to several factors like hoardings catching the attention of the driver or any other reason. Accidents are also caused due to distraction resulting from other type of accidents. Drivers, who are engaged in checking their mobiles or calling while driving are also likely to meet with accidents.

Whatever be the cause, you can make a claim if you provide sufficient information regarding the cause of accident.

source: www.ezinearticles.com

Act Quick When You Suffer an Injury Due to Slipping!

Injuries resulting from a slip and fall are extremely dangerous. They can cause long term injuries and also lead to physical immobility. A seemingly harmless task such as walking around the house too can turn out to be risky. If there is water spilled around or you happen to trip over an object, you may fall and injure your back, hands, legs and head.

If you or anyone known to you was to meet with an accident that is causing extreme pain, you can make a claim. You must not waste time. Another significant important task that you must do is report the occurrence of accident. This must be done in cases wherein an employee has slipped in an office. Employers must ensure that they provide a safe and secure working environment to all the employees. They must also ensure that the workplace is free from any hazards.

An increasing number of workers have been reported to have met with an accident at some point or the other at office. However, not everyone makes a claim. Many of them are afraid that they may be removed from their jobs or may be harassed unnecessarily. This need not be the case. It is the duty of employers to provide a safe working environment to all the employees. If they fail to do so and an employee happens to meet with an accident, then he or she can make a claim.

There are innumerable causes of accident at a workplace. An accident can occur due to:

• Improper training to handle equipments

• Slip or tripping

• Loose wires dangling around the office

• Falls - Employees are likely to suffer injuries due to a fall that may result due to a wet floor
• Breaks and fractures - If due to some kind of accident, you break your arm or fracture any bone in your body, you can make a claim

You need not worry if you meet with an accident while being at the workplace. You can make a claim easily. You just need to prove that your employer was responsible for the accident. This can be done by providing medical reports that state the cause and extent of injury. If you are unsure as to how to proceed, you can even approach workplace accident claims solicitors.

They can give you a fair idea about how to make a claim. You can easily find all the information related to making a claim. They can also make you aware of the intricacies involved in making a claim. They can also provide you a rough estimate of the amount of compensation you can claim.

source: www.ezinearticles.com