A home insurance policy provides you with financial aid in case your house has been damaged or has suffered a loss during unforeseen incidents, such as natural calamities, fire, robbery, vandalism, etc. It compensates for the loss or damages to your home building structure as well as its contents, such as your furniture, jewellery, clothes, appliances, etc.
Whether you live in rented accommodation or at your own house, you can protect it financially with the help of a home insurance policy. Besides, you can find a variety of home insurance plans in India to cater to your different needs.
Although most people consider home insurance a luxury purchase, it is more of a necessity. Calamities do not come with a warning and when they do arrive, they create havoc that can lead to the destruction of your home.
The only way to ensure that you can rebuild your home without losing all your savings is with the help of a home insurance policy.
But to get your home insurer to pay for the loss or damages to your house due to unforeseen incidents is by raising a timely home insurance claim.
Home Insurance Claim
By raising a home insurance claim, you notify your insurer about the losses or damages caused to your home. Unless you have raised your claim within the stipulated time, your insurer will not pay for your losses. Once you have notified your insurer and submitted the required documents, your claim will be registered.
If you have raised a claim for home insurance, you may have wondered what happens after you initiate a claim. How does the insurance company decide if they want to pay for your claims and to what extent? Let’s answer these questions by taking you through the anatomy of a home insurance claim process.
What Goes Behind a Typical Home Insurance Claim Process?
Every home insurance provider has a well-laid claim process. They follow a set procedure when a policyholder raises a claim. Take a look at what does your insurer do after you raise a home insurance claim:
1. Raising the Claim
The process begins when you raise a claim for the loss or damages sustained by your house. Your claim is registered if you call your insurer’s customer support team over the phone and shoot a mail to your insurer online. Your insurer will also accept your claim if you raise it through your insurance agent.
Keep your policy document and your claim number handy so that it doesn’t get damaged along with your house.
Make sure to raise a claim as soon as possible so that you meet the claims deadline of your insurer. Also, keep a written account of how your house was damaged so that you are able to answer any questions asked by your insurer later.
2. Assigning a Claims Professional
Once you have initiated your claim, your insurance provider will assign a claims professional to navigate you through the claim process. The person will inform you about what you need to do and which documents do you need to submit to your insurer to file a claim successfully.
3. Getting in Touch
The assigned claim professional will get in touch with you and discuss your home insurance coverage. He/she will also inform you about how the company plan to go about the claim process. Make sure to pay attention to any suggestions given by the claim professional and follow them diligently to prevent any further damage to your house or its contents.
4. Damage Assessment
The claim professional will inspect your home and assess the damages. He/she will speak to the eyewitnesses and collect all evidence to estimate the damages correctly.
5. Claim Settlement
After investigating the damaged site and collecting all the evidence, the insurer will evaluate them. Based on the evaluation, your insurer will pay you the claim amount. In the case of simple claims, payment will be made right after the first inspection. But in the case of complicated claims, payment will be made over a period of time.
For instance, the payment for the replacement cost of your house can be made in two or more instalments. In the first payment, your insurer will pay for the actual cost of the items. The further payments will cover the replacement of the items.
6. Closure of Claim
Once your claim has been settled, your insurer will close your claim. However, you can reach out to your assigned claim professional in case of any questions or doubts.
In a Nutshell
Home insurance can help you to evade major financial distress as any loss or damages to your home can be difficult to afford. In case you do need to raise a home insurance claim, make sure to do it right to avoid getting it rejected. Moreover, the above anatomy of a home insurance claim process can help you understand your insurer’s perspective more clearly.
