The other day we were discussing an article published in a national newspaper on this subject at the brokerage firm. It focused on what the law states, but the day-to-day operation of insurance is somewhat different. We will see what the law says and how we act in the event of a problem with our policyholders.
The Law on Insurance Contracts and the different ways to make a claim
When a client/insured person disagrees with the insurer's decision, there are different ways to complain to the insurer. These are:
- According to art. 38 of the Insurance Contract Actcan the «aggrieved» customer nominate a expert to help you prove to the company that the insured is right and corroborate their opinion. The cost of this expert would have to be borne by the client. If there are still discrepancies, there is the option of the 3rd expert.
- The Insurance Company Customer Service Department or also known as “Defence of the Insured”The complaint must be resolved within a period of two months by all insurers. This is binding on the company, but not on the client, who has other avenues of recourse.
- The Directorate General Insurance also has an Insured's Defence service, to which those who feel they have been harmed by their insurance company can turn.
In addition, of course, there would be the judicial channels which can be used by anyone, but which already entails a higher cost.
Insurance Brokerage, why?
As we said, we have seen the different legal options open to the client. All of them involve the consumption of resources, whether economic or temporary. It is no coincidence that the free options, such as the companies' Policyholder Defence Service or the DGS, take a long time to be resolved.
This is where the role of a Insurance Brokerage. Regrettably, not all claims are solved the first time around. There are times when a client may claim more damages than the loss adjuster or the company will award, there are discrepancies in the value to be compensated or a thousand other issues that can go wrong.
The role of a brokerage firm is to defend its policyholder.. Brokerages provide this service (we do). without charging the customer, The different companies are the ones who pay us to bring them clients. And yet, we owe it to our policyholders, for whom we owe a lot of money. “break our faces”.” when the company is not fulfilling its duty and is not respecting the rights of the insured.
How far does the service provided by a brokerage firm extend?
This service, in the event of a claim, often involves calls to:
- experts,
- claims handlers,
- guilds and
- different personnel involved in the incident
to facilitate and solve the client's problem. It is a job that is done, so to speak, «in the shadows» (because in many cases the client does not even see it) but what we do to ensure that the claims are handled in the best possible way.
As we say, this service is what justifies that a policy home insurance, health insurance or a company or self-employed leave policy, is subscribed not directly with the company (who is going to sweep to his side) but with a Brokerage that:
- First it helps you to compare offers companies by advising you on appropriate coverages
- Afterwards, in the event of a claim, it will help you to manage it. so that the insurer does not take advantage of the situation.
How do I choose insurance that protects me?
We must consider many factors when choosing our insurance, as it is not only the price variable that is important: safeguards, good range of repairers, how is the claims management in the company...
PIB Group Iberia will help you find that insurance company that doesn't hide or shy away from you in the event of a claim, but really responds when you need it.
