Perspective

Claims often go unresolved for months and that is usually avoidable. If your claim is valid and you have not breached your duty of good faith to the insurer by making false or incomplete disclosure and have provided all relevant information, it shouldn’t stall, but should proceed through the necessary stages to completion within a reasonable timeframe.

What delays claims settlement?

• Insurers will often say they don’t have all the necessary information when you think they do. If they say that, tell them you have provided all the information requested that you think is relevant and require them to be specific about anything else needed.
• Insurers will sometimes deny claims without giving valid reasons or explanations. For example, in a recent claim I handled involving a car windscreen replacement for a near-new car under an optional additional cover, an insurer refused to pay for the original part and insisted on a generic part to save around $400. There was no basis in the policy for this position. We quickly escalated the claim and began the complaints process and the insurer reversed course and agreed that the original part would be supplied and paid for in full.
• Your claim may be compromised by staff turnover or poor communication within the insurance company. If you are getting the silent treatment it may be that your claim is misplaced or lost.

What do I do if my claim is stuck?

• Don’t give up, be persistent and use the contact details on the insurer’s website. Don’t accept long periods of inactivity and don’t accept being ignored.
• Escalate and if necessary begin the internal complaints process.
• Get qualified help. It makes no sense to waste months getting nowhere when someone with the expertise and experience can cut through the jargon and get your claim resolved. Time is money after all and a little money well spent can save a lot of time.