5 Things That Can Invalidate a Burglary Insurance Claim 131
by Admin
Posted on 30-03-2023 07:21 AM
By rowan barry | 18th june 2021
a burglary is traumatic enough, without going on to find that your insurance claim has been turned down. There are a number of common reasons why this might happen. Read on as we explain how you can avoid an invalid claim, and escape falling victim to burglary in the first place. The following all have potential to cause issues with claiming on your home contents insurance policy following a burglary, and some can also make you more of a target for burglars too.
Report the burglary at your house straight away – the sooner you report a crime, the greater chance the crime might be solved. If you suspect that the burglar is still inside, don’t go in! instead, call the police from outside your property, preferably from the safety of your car or a neighbour’s home if the burglary has already happened and there’s no clear danger, call the non-emergency line on 101. The police should give you a crime reference number. You need this if you decide to make a home insurance claim for any theft or damage. If you’re in your home and someone breaks in, it’s important to stay calm and not let adrenaline cloud your judgement. https://www.pdla.ie/burglary-claims
The short answer is yes, your home insurance premium is more than likely to increase after you’ve made a claim. This is because insurers base your premium on risk profiles and as far as insurers are concerned, if you’ve made a claim for a burglary , you’re more likely to make another compared to someone who hasn’t. This can be particularly so if you live in an area with a higher-than-average crime rate. It's worth pointing out that a break-in is generally going to have a bigger impact on your premium compared to one-off incidents like a damaged window or fence.
How Can We Help?
What does a loss assessor do?
the process of settling an insurance claim for damaged property can be complicated and frustrating. You can appoint a loss assessor to represent you (the policy holder). Loss assessors speak to the insurance company on your behalf and will manage your insurance claim. A loss assessor uses their expertise and specialist knowledge to get you the best possible settlement figure.
What can pcla do for me that i can’t do myself?
making an insurance claim is not always straightforward. A loss assessor will know what you can claim for and how to make sure you get your full entitlement.
Once you call insurers, they will appoint a loss adjuster to validate the claim and check you have met the terms of your policy. Loss adjusters are there to look after the interests of the insurance company. Despite their claim, they are not independent. If they find you have not met the conditions of your policy, they will attempt to refuse (repudiate) your claim. They will check the sums insured are adequate and attempt to significantly reduce any pay-out. Loss adjusters usually rely on law enforcement trained personnel to interrogate policyholders and investigate the claim. Your history, financial obligations and status are questioned to look for motives that may implicate you- even when you are completely innocent.
Fraudulent workers’ compensation claims can be hazardous to the financial wellbeing of your business. To determine the legitimacy of a claim, an examiner will conduct a workers’ compensation claim investigation. The investigation seeks to determine two things: is the employee as injured as they claim to be? was the injury acquired while the person was working? for example, an employee who is injured outside of work tuesday night but comes in the next day and files a claim indicating that the injury happened at work would be filing a fraudulent workers’ comp claim. Ideally, an investigation would uncover that lie.
Burglary and theft home insurance
To check if you’re living in a high crime rate area and to see the levels of theft in your neighbourhood, you can take a look at the crime rate website. According to the office for national statistics (ons), police recorded a 19% decrease in burglaries in the year ending june 2022, compared to the year ending march 2020. But theft rates vary a lot depending on where you live. When you’re applying for a home insurance quote, insurers will look at your postcode and the crime rate in your area to work out how much your premiums will be.
To be fully covered for burglary, you will need home insurance which includes both buildings and contents cover, as some thieves both steal items and damage a property in the process. Apart from the cheapest policies, most will cover you on a ‘new for old’ basis. This means that if you have a laptop stolen, for example, but it’s a few years old, it should be replaced with the latest version, or nearest equivalent. Likewise, carpets, curtains, doors, windows, locks and other fixtures and fittings will be replaced as new.
Anyone who has been the victim of a burglary or theft will know that it can leave you feeling extremely vulnerable. As well as the cost and loss of personal possessions, there’s the shock of having your home broken into. The first few hours of any burglary and theft insurance claim are critical. In an ideal world, you shouldn’t move anything until the police have had visited your home and concluded their inquiries. After that, it’s a good idea to involve a loss assessor before you doing anything else. At aka claims we can help make the whole process easier by managing your claim from start to finish, while offering help and advice based on dealing with countless burglary and theft insurance claims in the past.
Home contents insurance covers you against loss, theft or damage to your personal and home possessions. It can also cover you if you take items out of the home, on holiday, for example. The insurance covers your own possessions and those of close family members living with you. It may not cover the possessions of anyone staying with you temporarily. You don't have to take out home contents insurance. However, it's a good idea to do so because if any of your contents are lost, stolen or damaged you will have to pay to replace them.
Theft & criminal damage insurance claims criminal damage, as defined by the criminal damage act of 1971, is where someone causes damage to your property with intent to do so, without lawful excuse. If someone has targeted your building in any way, we will look to recover your losses. Our loss assessors will support you through your home insurance claims process to ensure items are replaced and repairs are carried out quickly. Testimonial get in touch contact us now to schedule a call with a member of our team and get the guidance you need to move forward with confidence. Book a call now.
Most people also want to know if their mobile phone is covered by their home insurance. From cracked screens to dropping it down the loo, customers expect their contents cover will pay to repair or replace their phone. To make sure your mobile phone is insured inside and outside the home, consider adding our extra cover. Happily, lv= customers with personal possessions cover can claim for theft (excluding any unauthorised usage), loss or damage to their mobile phone inside and outside the home. To add this extra cover to your policy so your mobile phone is insured, get in touch.