But being covered when it really matters can make you thankful you took out a policy when you did.
In this guide, we cover the steps to take when making an insurance claim.
This covers the process for general insurance claims but not life insurance, critical illness cover or income protection policies. For these claims, it’s best to check with your insurance provider on how to proceed.
If you’ve been in a road accident or you’ve had your possessions stolen, you should immediately call the police to report the crime.
Driving away from the scene of a collision is illegal. And if you’ve had your belongings stolen, your insurer will query why you haven’t reported it to the police if you don’t.
The sooner you’re able to report an incident, the better.
If you’re unwell and need to claim medical expenses on your travel insurance, for example, speak to your insurer directly to ask any questions.
Most insurers provide a 24/7 helpline, and you can find the relevant contact number on their website or your policy documents.
For insurance policies provided through HSBC, contact numbers can be found here:
When you make a claim, your insurer will need a clear and full understanding of what’s happened.
Take detailed notes of the times and dates that events occur, take photos and videos of any damage, and take the details of anybody else involved with your claim.
The more information you can record and provide to your insurer, the quicker and smoother the process is likely to be.
Provided that you’re out of any emergency or situation, take the time to review your insurance policy to be clear on how to proceed.
Some car insurance policies might require you to have any vehicle repairs carried out by specific companies they have a partnership with, for example.
If you’ve lost your policy documents, speak to your insurer and they’ll be able to provide a replacement or just guide you through the process over the phone.
It’s best to contact your insurer sooner rather than later. Some insurance policies have a time limit for you to make a claim, and the sooner you tell them, the quicker you may get your claim resolved.
You can usually make a claim over the phone or in writing, and some insurers allow you claim online – they might just have some follow-up questions once you’ve submitted the details.
This is the point where your notes come in handy – you’ll find that the more information you provide to your insurer, the less questions they’ll have.
Your insurer will probably notice if something doesn’t add up, so double check what you’ve recorded and ensure it’s accurate before you make a claim.
The more evidence you can provide to support your claim, the better. Here’s a quick list of documents that you might need:
Every time you speak to your insurer or any other party about your claim, make a note of what you’ve discussed and when.
This way, if you’re advised to do something that later appears to have jeopardised your claim, you can justify your actions.
Most insurance companies will have an obligation to record their phone calls, so if you can provide the date and time of the call, they can listen back to support your claim.
Some claims can get complicated and take a long time, so this will also help you keep track of what’s going on.
Once you’ve submitted all the information, your insurer should provide rough timeframes for how long everything will take.
