If you've ever wondered why your insurance claim takes so long to process, it could be because of the reason you give, according to specialist online insurance broker Screentrade.
Fraud is an issue which affects all insurance companies and many of the reasons given by claimants mean that more in-depth investigations have to take place to determine their validity, increasing the amount of time it takes to process the claim.
"In many cases, the claimant is their own worst enemy, giving inaccurate, ludicrous, suspicious and often humorous reasons for their insurance claims," says Screentrade's chief operating officer, Nigel Lombard.
The following examples illustrate the kind of statements that may result in investigation. These reasons were found on insurance forms where car drivers attempted to summarise the details of their accident for the insurance claim.
- I thought my window was down, but found it was up when I put my head through it.
- In an attempt to kill a fly, I drove into a telephone pole.
- An invisible car came out of nowhere, struck my car and vanished.
- I told the police that I was not injured, but on removing my hat found that I had a fractured skull.
- The telephone pole was approaching. I was attempting to swerve out the way when I struck the front end.
- I was thrown from my car as it left the road. I was later found in a ditch by some stray cows.
- My car was legally parked as it backed into another vehicle.
- I had been driving for forty years when I fell asleep at the wheel and had an accident.
Nigel Lombard added: "We recommend that claimants
are as informative and accurate as possible on their insurance claims to avoid
the need for a full investigation. While you may provide the claims handler
with a good laugh, intentionally or not, if your reasons are vague, it's likely
your insurance claim will take a lot longer to process."
