Insurance Information About Auto Claims Denied

Posted by Anang Fauzi On Friday, June 25, 2010 0 comments

Consumers are given many reasons as to why they have been denied an insurance claim by Insurance companies. There are many situations that are either unknown to the consumer or that they had overlooked when filling out an insurance claim.

When an insurance claim is made and the Insurance Agent notifies the customer that they have been denied, the customer should immediately examine his policy looking for any possibility that the agent has misinterpreted the denial. Misinformation or incomplete information could be a possibility.


Some of the most common reasons for insurance claim denials are as follows.
1) Making a claim when the appropriate coverage does not exist. This may arise due to the fact that you opted to buy a cheaper policy with only liability coverage and no collision. Many people will do this after purchasing an older vehicle in which they decide not to have the full coverage.
2) Lapsing insurance coverage in which premium is not caught up at the time of the accident.
3) The policy cap is exceeded with your vehicles damage, and the vehicle has not been written off and is fixable. This sometimes happens when people get fooled into lowering the policy cap to benefit from a cheaper premium.
4) You made a claim error such as making an under insured motorist claim and then it turns out the other driver was adequately insured.
5) New vehicle purchase was not added to present policy, failure to notify agent to add new vehicle.
6) The person driving at the time of the accident is not insured under you policy as a second driver such an excluded teenager under their parents insurance policy.
These are just some of the common reasons an insurance claim can be denied.
If you review the reason behind the denial and you see that the denial was wrong there are some steps that you may take to further appeal the decision. Since the Insurance company is obligated to fully settle your accident claim as soon as possible under good faith, you still have certain rights indicated in your policy and within the law for them to do so.
A few things you should do if you feel you claim was improperly denied.
1) Write a letter to notify the Insurance Company of any mistake that you have found in the decision with properly organized documentation as to your findings.
2) Go to the Sate Insurance Commissioner with your appeal.
3) Go to an insurance bad faith attorney with your case.
4) Your next option would be a law suit for bad faith, breach of contract, and anything that is in violation of your State Insurance Code.
Before preceding with your steps for a law suit, make sure you fully understand the Insurance Companies reason for the denial. If you still feel they are in the wrong, speak to an attorney and make sure that the Insurance company has denied your claim wrongly.
If the insurance company realizes that they are in the wrong , they will re-open the claim and follow through with the procedure to fulfill their obligation.


Making Claims Auto Insurance Easier

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When people are involved in auto accidents, the first reaction is to panic. This does not help you at all especially if you have auto insurance and would have to file claims. I would share a few tips with you in this article. This would guide you on what to do and what not to do.


  • The first step you should always take is to call 911 and the police. If the police cannot come to the scene of the accident, you will have to go to the nearest police station and file an accident report. This is assuming that the accident was not fatal and no one sustained severe injuries.
  • Document the details of the accident. If you have your portable camera, it would be wise for you to take snapshots of the scene of the accident. If you do not have a camera, write a detailed report of everything as it happened.
  • Be careful of what you say because your words may be used against you. Never ever tell anyone that you think the accident was your fault. Whatever you have to say should be said only to the police and your insurance agent.
  • Do not make the mistake of accepting monetary compensation from the second party. Your insurance company would bear the liability.
  • Report the accident to your agent and insurance company. To make things easier for you and agent, tell them the following;
a. the time, date and place the accident occurred.
b. how many people were injured
c. how the accident occurred
d. the speed the other driver was driving at and also your own speed
e. the direction each driver was going.
f. the name and phone numbers of the witnesses at the scene of the accident.
g. the number of the police report
h. the extent of damage to your car.
  • You may have to get a car from a rental agency. This might not be covered by your auto insurance policy and you will have to bear the cost of the rental. This is one of the reasons why it is very vital for you to know the extent of your coverage.
  • To help you get the best bargain and a policy that would come through for you when you really need them, visit several insurance sites and make comparisons. Do not be in too much of a hurry to get an auto insurance. Compare and contrast until you get what is best suitable for you.


Understanding Car Insurance No Claims Discount and No Bonus

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Car Insurance No Claims Discount and Bonus Explained

If you are a young driver or an older new driver who has never purchased a car insurance policy before, you may well have heard of but not be aware of the meaning of the terms 'No Claims Discount' or 'No Claims Bonus'. Most certainly when you first take out car insurance it is highly unlikely that the concept of these discounts was not explained to you, as they are not applicable in the first year of a car insurance policy. Essentially the two terms are the same and mean that for every year of claims free driving you will receive a discount on the following year's car insurance premium. The discount is the amount as a percentage that will be allowed against the car insurance premium you pay, the Bonus concept of the number of years without claims expressed as an amount. The two terms are interchangeable as you may often see the expression NCD or NCB used throughout a car insurance policy key facts document.
Rewarding Good Driving with Cheap Car Insurance
The amount of the discount will vary from company to company and is usually larger in the first few years, possibly even thirty percent in year two, and decreases over each subsequent year up to a fixed number of years, usually five or six. When you have achieved five or six years of driving without having made a claim you are said to have accrued 'Maximum No claims Bonus'. Each and every Car Insurance Company will have a limit on the number of years it will allow you to build towards your maximum no claim period. The amount it will discount against the premium for someone who has maximum no claims is usually around sixty percent but with some specialised car insurers this can be higher, sometimes seventy percent or higher as these companies have a better 'risk pool' of similar drivers or vehicles covered, and though better knowledge of the market can adjust their rates accordingly.

Protect Your Good Driving Record
If you have managed to get through five or six years without having to make a claim against your car insurance policy you will be offered the chance to protect your car insurance No Claims Bonus that you have built up with something called Maximum NCD protection. For a small additional premium you will be offered protection for your Bonus years which means that in the event of an accident where you are forced to claim, your subsequent year's premiums will not be increased. When considering whether to purchase this additional cover it is well worth remembering that even if you have a no fault accident in year six of your driving, that forces you to make a claim due to the high cost of repairs to your car, your car insurance premiums the following year will rise by at least thirty percent and with some Car Insurance companies this can be much more. Maximum No Claims Bonus protection is a relatively new cover introduced within the last twenty years, no so much as a feature of choice from the Car Insurers, but moreover a necessity to tie existing customers into another year of policy contract, when the policy is due for renewal. This device worked well in early years however with the advent of claims databases and Car Insurance Companies exchanging data between themselves, it has become increasingly easier to transfer earned 'No Claims' years to another Car Insurer, who will in turn honor offer protection for this discount. You will usually be asked to provide 'proof of no claims bonus' in the form of a renewal offer letter if you renew your car insurance policy with a different insurer, or if you decide to cancel your current policy and change cover 'mid-term', you can ask the old company to provide a 'standard letter' of proof.
As with every insurance decision you need to weigh up the cost of purchasing this additional cover against the likelihood of a claim and the personal cost to yourself if you are forced to make a car insurance claim.


Filing Auto Insurance Claims: The Basic Steps to Take

Posted by Anang Fauzi On Tuesday, June 22, 2010 0 comments

An automobile accident can be a terrifying event for anyone, even when there are no injuries sustained. However, it is still necessary to take proper action after the collision to make filing auto insurance claims as simple as possible. Filing auto insurance claims may seem demanding at first glance, but following the correct steps can ensure success.

Be sure to carry your insurance card with you at all times for easy access. This card contains the type of coverage you have and how long it spans, your vehicle's make, model and identification number, and emergency and after hours phone numbers. Call your auto insurance agent to inform the company of the occurrence as soon as possible.

Most insurance companies request some form of documentation to support your claim. Writing down names and addresses of those involved or possible witnesses may aid when filing auto insurance claims. Noting specific details such as the weather, or visibility also may be of assistance. And of course, a copy of the police report is required, along with a proof of claim form provided by the insurance company.

Once all the information has been provided to the insurance company, and the claim form has been filled out, you can basically just sit and wait to see what develops. If there happens to be a dispute between the participants in the accident, you may receive a call from the other driver's insurance company inquiring about your version of the collision. Support your case. Document the conversation and make note of the insurance agent you spoke with.

Your case will be designated a claims adjuster, regardless of the car's condition. The car will be taken to a body shop, and the shop will evaluate damage done to the automobile. They will then send a report to the insurance company with an estimate for repairs. The insurance company will determine retail value after assessment of the report. If the repairs transcend 70 to 80 percent of the car's retail value, it is deemed totaled by the insurance company.


Looking Inside the Auto Insurance Claims Industry

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It is often with groans and stress that Americans open their auto insurance bills when the imminent summons arrives in the mail. Conversely, it is with a sigh of relief that Americans contact their automobile insurance carrier in the event of an unexpected accident or fender bender. Furthermore, states have implemented mandated liability insurance in the past couple of decades...a much required and much awaited mandate. Courts take a serious stance on those who do not carry minimal liability insurance. It is obvious that this mandate has promoted an escalation in the amount of auto insurance claims in the past few decades.

Nevertheless, burgeoning technology has promoted auto insurance claims which have become more expeditiously processable in this country. One company has devised an avenue in which the consumer may use their I-phone application in order to submit their auto insurance claim. The application uses the phone's camera, data files, and internet connection to file the entire auto insurance claim at the scene of the accident.

How do automobile insurers calculate their premiums for car insurance? These premiums are based largely on market risk ratios, such as those that banks and other financial institutions use to calculate lending percentages (above and beyond prime rate). This is why consumers' automobile insurance premiums are directly correlated to the demographics of automobile insurance claims. For example, demographics which include young males under the age of 25 -- and those for male or female drivers over the age of 70 -- are generally much more expensive than are those premiums for middle-aged females. This is simply because automobile insurance claims are much more prevalent for young male drivers and senior drivers.

Internationally, however, state regulations for fault versus no-fault car insurance claims vary. In other words, there are a few states in which the liability for any accident falls directly upon the automobile owner. This would mean an unwary driver who is hit by a wayward driver wrestling with their cell phone would have to file their own automobile insurance claim, although the accident was not their fault. Their driving record would not be blemished. These automobile insurance claims are known as no-fault claims.

It is not only prudent but also very wise for all automobile drivers to carry a reasonable level of automobile insurance coverage. With that in mind, an car insurance claim will be secure, as will the consumer's wallet or pocketbook.


Money Saving Tips For Making Auto Insurance Claims

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Due to the fact of there being about three hundred million different vehicles cruising down the road throughout the United States, you have a huge chance for being in some kind of accident involving your car or truck. Now you can see why it is so crucial that everyone comprehends how to file claims. This article will cover several things you need to know for filing an automobile insurance claim.

Step on in an auto insurance claims begins at the location of the car accident. You need to first call for the police when an accident happens. You have to call the police and make an accident report to be able to file you auto insurance claim. Next you need to take out the registration for your vehicle, you driver's license, your auto insurance ID card, and whatever other information you need. If the driver of the other car is up to getting their information, then exchange information with them.

If you can do this exchange of information with the driver of the other vehicle, you should also obtain a few other bits of information. This added information is crucial for your automobile insurance claim. This information would be such things as license plate number, the other driver's auto insurance company, and all information talked about before.

You will most likely see some people standing around at the scene of your accident. Several of the individuals could be witnesses. The kind of information they could testify to could definitely prove the validity of the automobile insurance claim. You need to get their name address and phone number, and what they saw. You should give this information to your insurance firm when you do your automobile insurance claim.

It is a good thing to have a disposable camera on you while you drive. This be quite useful if you have an accident. You can quickly take pictures on the scene of your accident, then you can include these photos with your automobile insurance claim, of course keep copies for yourself. Also you should not ever say you at fault on the accident scene. Let all the points documented for the accident report be analyzed, and let the authorities and the insurance companies decide who was at fault.

After you have everything documented and swapped information and you can finally make a phone call, it is crucial to call your car insurance company immediately. Many of the auto insurance companies may even have an agent come out to the accident scene if you happen to be able to contact them that quick. This is one aspect that most people don't think about when filing automobile insurance claims If this is not offered by your insurance company then just call them as soon as you can.

The auto insurance company will then send an adjustment agent to your house, to see and figure out the vehicle damage, that occurred during the accident. You need to be at home when the agent comes out as they may need to talk to you about your side of what occurred during the accident. This aspect of the automobile insurance claim is very important. They also may ask you to explain how the accident happened to a telephone call that is recorded. No need for you to be nervous over this, this is just how it goes with auto insurance claims.


Insure Auto - Why Do I Need it and How to Claim It?

Posted by Anang Fauzi On Saturday, June 12, 2010 0 comments

Q: I just had a fender bender with another car on the road. We exchanged details of insurance and contact. I am back at home now. Please tell me what should I do to file an auto insurance accident claim?

A: You should immediately inform your insurance company about the incident. There should be a claim form in your insurance documents. Find it and fill the claim form. You will have to submit the claim to the company to file the auto insurance accident claim.

Some insurance companies also let you file insurance claims online on their website. If that facility is available with your insurance company, file the claim in addition to the form.

The insurance company will contact the other parties insurance themselves, you needn't worry about that. The company will ask you take your car to a garage, and a claim adjuster will review the damage and negotiate the repairs.

It would have been better if you would have stayed at the accident site until the police came. That would have sorted out the at-fault issue. But since you are home there is nothing you can do about that anymore. If possible sort out who is at fault with the other party, and inform the claim adjuster about this to make your auto insurance accident claim easier to process.

Last but not least, we strongly recommend that you spend a few minutes online comparing quotes from other auto insurance providers. Many drivers are overpaying for coverage and you might be shocked at just how much money you could be saving.


Auto Claim Fraud - What is it? How Can It Affect You

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What is auto claim fraud? It is an intentional concealment of information to your insurance company. This sounds basic enough. You lied to your insurance company. However, there are other ways of insurance companies can construed insurance fraud. A simple "inflation of the claim" is enough; courts

will be very harsh on insureds that try to inflate claims.

Even if you inflate the claim only a few dollars, the entire claim will be denied. You will put in the "insurance black book", and if the offense is bad enough, you will be turned into the prosecutor's office. You will have a hell of a time finding a decent insurance rate for any insurance policy out there.

The problem is not that you commit fraud per se, but that you make a mistake that can be construed as fraud. For example, stating that your stereo system has MP4 capabilities because you believe that it does. If it turns out that your belief is incorrect, you will have to explain yourself. You must prove that there was no bad faith and it was a simple mistake. Most insurance companies will try to deny your claim if they believe they can save money.

Insurance companies are very aggressive assessing fraudulent trends. There are many "red flags" a claim adjuster must consider. Fire claims are "watched" and reviewed closely. Insurance adjusters will be
inquiring about your finances and making sure that the fire was not a convenient way to get rid of your car payment.

The insurance company that I used to work for had us watch gas prices very closely. They were able to draw direct relationships between the rise of gas prices and fraudulent claims. Adjusters are authorized to ask you about your finances (particularly when gas prices go up). Some of their questions can be intrusive and most insurance polices require to answer. If you lie or decline to answer, your claim can be denied because you failed to cooperate with the investigation.

It is always a good idea to read your insurance policy before you make a claim or when there is a possibility that the insurance company will construe "fraud", particularly when there are claims that are hard to explain. Reading an insurance policy is nothing like reading a book, there is special format you must follow. Visit:http://www.auto-insurance-claim-advice.com/read-your-auto-insurance-policy.html
for a detail explanation on how to read an insurance policy. It is important to really be able to understand your police and how it all fits together because when insurance companies think there is fraud, they will rather decline a claim based on something else. They will quote policy language like "failure to cooperate", "Mitigation of Damages", "Failure to Provide Proof of Loss" or even "Failure to Report Loss".

If your claim is truly fraudulent, the insurance company will not hesitate to decline your claim and turn you in. However, if the insurance company cannot prove it by preponderance of the evidence, or they do not want to point the finger directly (happens often because if they make a mistake, they could be suit), then they just decline the claim on other grounds.

If you are in one of those situations where a claim looks fishy and could be accused of auto claim fraud, but you do have a legitimate claim, then you have to make sure the insurance company has all the documents. Must have one version of events, and make sure that you read your policy so the insurance company does not try to get away with not paying what is rightfully yours.


Auto Insurance Damage Claims: Must Read "How To" Guide

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Have you just been out from a vehicle accident and filing an auto insurance damage claims? Then read on. We'll talk about some tips with your auto insurance damage claims that would make it easier and less hectic than it may seem.


Oh! I also compiled more articles that you should read before buying any auto insurance to avoid regrets later. You can view them at my site, look for the link at the bottom of this article.

Going through an auto accident is never a pleasant experience. But it is very important to keep a cool head as much as possible when dealing with your auto insurance damage claims. It is important that you remember as much as possible what happened. What was the weather, what was the road like, the landmarks? All of this would be very helpful during your auto insurance damage claim. Insurance companies will try to verify your story with the police report and other parties.

When filing an auto insurance damage claim, insurance companies would most likely ask for documentation. So be prepared to by writing down the names and address of people who are involved with the accident. It would also be a big help if you have contacts with possible witness to the event. Be ready for the copy of police report, medical report and forms that your insurance company would ask for.
One thing that you must always have with you to lighten that auto insurance damage claim burden is your insurance card. Keep with you all the time. Stuck it to your wallet or in the glove compartment. Anywhere, as long as you have it all the time when driving your vehicle. This nifty card contains lot of information such as type of coverage, span of coverage and identification.

It's worth mentioning that when filing forms during an auto insurance damage claims, that accuracy is a must. It's easy to misspell the names of people, name of street or block and even your car. That's why you must double-check those records especially the documents on police report and auto insurance damage claim form. Doing this ensures that there will be less chance of a delay on processing those documentations.

Auto insurance damage claims may be daunting at first glance, and maybe it is. But following this article would make it a little bit easier for your head. At least you will only have a headache from the accident and not from filing those auto insurance damage claim.