Insurance Claims: How to Write the Perfect Insurance Claim Letter
A good insurance claim letter will help your accredited insurance adjuster process your claim quickly.
An insurance claim letter is an important part of any insurance claim process. It helps the accredited insurance adjuster understand how much money you are requesting to cover the damage. At minimum the letter should include information about the accident, the policy number, the date of loss, and the amount claimed.
Some insurance companies will take this information over the phone others will require it in writing. Even if you give the details over the phone, you should follow up with written documentation.
Start with an introduction.
In order to write a successful insurance claim letter, start with an introduction who you are, why you are writing, contact information and the details on your property. This will help the insurance adjuster understand the most important details and how to get in touch with you when there are questions.
Explain what happened.
Next, explain why the claim was made. Include details such as the cause of the accident, the extent of damage, and any other relevant information. If you know the detailed information include that too. In the case of a flooring claim if you know when the floor was installed, where it was originally purchased and the model information, include that information as well. If you aren’t sure, try a google image search. You should also check your basem*nt or storage area for a box with the specifics.
Describe the damage.
Explain how the damage occurred. If the damage was caused by an animal, describe what type of animal it was. If the damage was due to weather, state whether it was wind, hail, snow, sleet, rain, or some other form of precipitation. If you can share specifics such as the number of animals, amount of rain or snow, do so in this section. If you have photos or video, you should make sure to include those.
What happens next?
After reviewing your information, an accredited claims adjuster (ACA) will likely be assigned and contact you to set up a time to assess the damage. If the damage is a result of a major storm or event, there is probably an independent insurance adjuster working in your area to help other claimants. If the damage is not a result of a major event, you’ll most likely work with an ACA affiliated with your insurance company, these adjusters are called staff claims adjuster. No matter the type of adjuster, either of them will be an accredited claims adjuster with their 6-20 all lines adjuster license.
Once all documentation and any personal visits to review the damage(s) are assessed, the ACA will contact you and discuss next steps in the claim process and explain how they will determine comparable replacement or repair value.In the case of repairing damage, you may be asked to submit repair estimates to your accredited claims adjuster for review. You should also remember that you will likely have a deductible amount and will either have to pay the deductible out of pocket before payment is issued from your insurance company or the deductible may be taken out of the repair reimbursem*nt. You will want to check your insurance policy for which applies to you. If you aren’t sure, you can ask your ACA.
Completing the repairs.
In the event your insurance company requires repairs to be completed before they issue reimbursem*nt, once the repairs have been completed, you will need to submit the repair receipts to your ACA. The ACA will then submit the information and details to the payment processing department. Within a few weeks you should receive a check in the mail from your insurance company.
Of note, some insurance companies may not require the repairs to be completed prior to policy pay out. They will require a written estimate from the repair center in order for the reimbursem*nt funds to be distributed.Throughout the entire insurance claim process, the accredited claims adjuster will walk you through each step of your claim and answer your questions.It is in your best interest to submit as much claim documentation as possible to the ACA as quickly as possible to keep the process moving and give your ACA all the information they need.
Want to help others recover from unexpected events?You may want to consider a career as an accredited claims adjuster. In Florida, once you earn your 6-20 accredited claims adjuster designation, you can apply to the state for your all lines adjuster license. This will enable you to work on home insurance claims, auto and RV insurance claims and property insurance claims. You would have the flexibility to work as a staff claims adjuster or an independent insurance adjuster.For more information on how to earn your 6-20 ACA designation, we invite you to call our Clermont, Florida office at 1-800-309-2459 or read more about the accredited claims adjuster certification process on our website.
