There is nothing worse than having insurance and then just as you need it most, your insurance claim gets rejected. Claims are rejected for various reasons but there are things you need to do to ensure that this doesn’t happen to you. Take a look at our top 10 ways of making sure your insurance claims go through.
Ah, car insurance; a purchase that can seem like such a waste each month as you watch the money go out of your account. But the BEST news is that your car is protected no matter what and you can rest assured knowing that your insurer has you covered. You never know when something is going to happen which is why you need to make sure you have a car insurance policy and that it’s up to date.
The sad thing when it comes to insurance policies is that many people don’t read the paperwork. Thank goodness with Oneplan Car and Household Insurance, our paperwork is plain and simple because it can often feel like insurers go out of their way to make the policies as complicated as possible, but not us.
Related: How Do Car Insurance Claims Work with Oneplan? A Step-by-Step Guide
10 things to check to make sure your insurance claim is approved
Wear and tear
Most items have a life span and if this isn’t properly monitored you can land up with items that break or that don’t work properly. For example, if the tread on your tyres is completely worn, this adds an additional risk to you and your vehicle when you’re driving.
If you have a car accident as a result of this type of wear and tear, it is more likely that your insurer will reject this claim. This is because it is your responsibility to ensure your car is kept in the best possible condition to drive on the roads.
Maintenance
Regular maintenance is the general upkeep of your vehicle. This includes regular car services and making sure you have your tyres checked and your wheels aligned. Failure to keep your car in perfect working condition is another reason your claim can be rejected.
You may think your car is running smoothly, but it’s important to get it checked by a professional. If your insurer does an inspection after you’ve laid a claim and found that you have neglected to maintain your vehicle, they can reject your claim.
Defective workmanship/materials used
This is a big no-no! We’ve just told you that you need to keep your car maintained, so you’re probably thinking “ah fine, well my cousin’s friend has this uncle who knows of a guy who can fix cars at the back of his house” …
Well, that’s fine, but only if he is a reputable car mechanic who uses quality materials and is 100% qualified. If any materials in or on your car are defective, you are putting yourself and others at risk so any claim you make can be rejected.
No cover
This is why it’s important to read your policy and to understand it completely. If you are trying to lay a claim for something that isn’t covered in your policy, then obviously no cover means no claim. Make sure you’ve gone through your policy a few times and ask as many questions as possible to avoid this from happening to you.
Non-Disclosure
This is when you fail to let your insurer know that something has changed. This could be that the primary driver of the car is listed as you but is actually your son, or where your car is parked the majority of the time has changed.
Failure to notify your broker or insurer of changes like these means that the risk associated with your policy can change which will result in your claim getting rejected.
Discover: 11 factors that affect your car insurance monthly premium
Late notification
You have a limited amount of time to report a potential claim; take a look at your insurance policy to check how long you have. If you take too long to lay your claim, you run the risk of having it rejected because the time frame to assess the claim has been exceeded.
No insurable interest
The interests of everyone involved in the insurance policy need to be noted for all parties to be covered effectively. For example, you’re insuring your friend’s car that is registered in her name
Unpaid premiums
This one may seem a little obvious but if you haven’t paid your monthly premium, this results in an immediate cancellation of your cover which means if anything happens during that time, you and your vehicle are not protected. You will need to make sure that all payments are up to date so you are completely covered for any event.
Misrepresentation, dishonest or criminal behaviour
If you have lied at any time or if you were involved in any criminal behaviour (example, if you were drunk while driving) then this will have serious consequences to your insurance claim, even more so than your claim merely being rejected.
Avoidance of cover
In any event that you have committed fraud, changed the description of what has happened, misrepresented yourself or the incident or if you failed to disclose important facts then your insurer can declare your policy null and void which automatically results in your claim being rejected.
It is vital to remain honest with your insurer and keep your car in the best condition possible to avoid your claim being rejected. Remember to ask your insurer for help if you’re ever unsure about your car insurance claim (we don’t bite, promise!).
Your Insurance Family,
Oneplan
