How to make a claim

Managing the claims process can be stressful and time consuming. Your Westlawn insurance broker can offer support and assistance through the claims process, and act as your advocate with the insurer. We will provide advice on your entitlements in relation to claims.

• If you are a victim of theft, vandalism, a serious accident or a malicious act, ensure you call the police to report it. Keep a copy of the police report for your insurance claim.
• If your building or property is unsafe, don’t enter it – listen to the advice of emergency services
• Take photographs of any damage
• Check with your Westlawn Insurance Broker before disposing of any damaged items. Some items may need to be inspected, or may be suitable for repair
• Keep a written report of what has happened, in case you forget any details later on
• Gather any evidence or proof which will be relevant for your claim, such as:
  • Purchase receipts
  • Police reports
  • Medical certificates
  • Valuations
  • Product information (serial numbers etc)
  • Photographs of the items, damage etc

Some claims may require an insurance assessor, who will work with the insurance company to manage the claim and assess the value of your loss. Your insurer will assign an assessor if required.

You may be reqired to gather quotes before items are repaired or replaced - your insurer will work with you to let you know what is required. Repairs may be undertaken, or a cash settlement may be agreed upon.

Should you need to make a major claim, your insurer will generally engage the services of experts, known as loss adjusters, to protect their own interests by carefully scrutinising your claim.

But what many businesses may not realise, is that depending on the policy wording of their insurance, they may also be entitled to claim some or all of the costs of engaging independent experts to assist with preparing their claim. This is commonly referred to as a claims preparation clause and where included, will vary from one policy to the next.

The claims preparation clause generally covers a range of different assistance to support your claim, for example, engaging an expert with a forensic accounting background to assist with business interruption calculations.

Claims preparation costs may also extend to receiving advice on minimising disruption to your business and to preparation of a business recovery plan to help get your business up and running again.

Why is it so important to receive expert assistance when making a claim?

With the insurer’s loss adjustors scrutinising your claim, there is the risk of delay in receiving compensation, receiving inadequate compensation or even the rejection of your claim altogether if the entire process is not managed correctly. Having an independent claims expert on your side will significantly help to reduce those risks.

By choosing the right insurance cover in the first instance with assistance from your Westlawn insurance broker, you can rest easy knowing that if you need to make a claim, you will get the support you need to ensure you receive the maximum compensation you have paid for and are entitled to.