CLAIM PROCESS

Professional Assistance with Insurance Claims in Perth

Firstly, take any sensible steps to prevent any further loss from occurring.

As soon as practical, please call Westralian Insurance on (08) 9302 1388. We are here to act on your behalf and will provide guidance and assist with queries. We will review your policy and check your policy coverage, advising if any paperwork needs to be lodged or if you can lodge your claim directly over the phone.

Should your loss occur outside of business hours and is an emergency, please refer to the contact details below for your insurance company. Please note not all numbers are available 24 hours a day.

The insurer and your Westralian Insurance Account Manager will advise you of the paperwork required to substantiate your claim. Below is a general guide of paperwork required; each policy and its requirements will differ –

Complete a claim form, including police report numbers if possible;

Provide copies of Proof of Ownership of items e.g. tax invoices, proof of purchase, receipts;

Provide quotations for repairs or replacements;

If it is a Workers Compensation claim, you will need to provide copies of medical certificates and invoices, claim forms etc.

Once you have compiled all information, you’ll need to return it to Westralian Insurance and we will forward to the insurance company and liaise with them on your behalf, to obtain a maximum settlement in a timely manner. We will also liaise with you should any further paperwork be required.

If your property is lost or stolen, vandalised or maliciously damaged, advise your nearest police station as soon as possible. Be sure to keep close by, the police report number they will issue, as well as any damaged property available should insurers wish to inspect it.

If you are reporting a car accident and completing paperwork, you will also be issued with a police report number which you will need to complete your insurance claim paperwork.

As each insurance claim is individual, we recommend you contact us at Westralian Insurance for advice and to answer any queries.

Some Success Stories...

These days, many of us will be aware of just how easy it is to purchase home and contents insurance online. However, getting the RIGHT home and contents insurance for your most valued asset, is not! Just ask the possums…

What happened

Last Winter, a long-term retail client of Westralian Insurance, headed away to the South West of Western Australia, for a well-deserved holiday with her family. Whilst she was enjoying some rest and relaxation, a family of possums were busy moving into her house in the hills.
Upon returning, our client quickly realised she had some unwanted guests, who were very unwilling to leave. Due to them being locked in the house for a week or so, the possum family had also caused a significant amount of damage, especially to some valued antiques…damage to the value of more than $16,000!
As you can imagine, our client was quite distressed when she made the call to us, especially as she had never made an insurance claim before. Her Account Manager ensured the process remained as stress free as possible, talking her through the course of action and assisting with paperwork.

The Account Manager also arranged for a clean-up/make safe team to attend the property as soon as possible.

The outcome:

Originally, the insurer denied the claim, declaring possums as vermin and therefore not being covered in the client’s insurance policy.

However, after extensive research by the broker, it was confirmed that possums are indeed NOT classified as vermin in WA, and the claim was covered in full. The client’s home is also now fully possum proof!
The client was thrilled with the outcome and we look forward to being of service in the future.

This true story clearly demonstrates the value of engaging an insurance broker for your insurance needs – we are your claims advocate and will always have your back.

Call Westralian Insurance today on (08) 9302 1338, or visit www.westralianinsurance.com.au
There’s a saying along the lines of your insurance is only as good as your last claim…

This saying rung very true recently for one of our clients with a difficult claim.

A successful Perth-based technology company operating for over 20 years and a client of Westralian Insurance for the past 10 years, this small to medium enterprise operates in a niche technology sector and is growing consistently every year.

What happened

In the summer of 2018, cyber criminals hacked into the emails of a trusted customer of our client. The criminals then impersonated the customer and placed a large order of goods for immediate delivery. Not thinking anything was wrong (as the email appeared to come from the customer), our client dispatched the goods the same day. The error was not picked up until our client chased their customer for payment and discovered that no authentic order was ever placed.

The order contained high value equipment totalling $50,000 in value and potentially could have put the client out of business.

The outcome

After paperwork was lodged, the insurers originally rejected the claim on the basis that it was a “first party loss”, meaning that no third party was making a claim against our client. However, after a thorough review of the Professional Indemnity and Cyber Insurance sections of our client’s policy wording by our insurance broker, we were able to successfully overturn the original decision and the claim was paid out in full.

Interestingly, the third-party trigger for the claim became the client’s supplier who had not been paid for the equipment which was shipped to the criminals. Their demands to our client for payment became the third-party trigger for the claim. This would have been a difficult claim for the company to deal with directly and clearly shows the value of engaging an insurance broker for your Business Insurance.

Call Westralian Insurance today on (08) 9302 1338, or visit www.westralianinsurance.com.au
Persistence and perseverance eventually pay off in a real battle of a claim...

Persistence and perseverance eventually pay off in a real battle of a claim.

A couple of years ago, a long-term client who was a truck driver, took out a Personal Accident and Illness policy with Westralian Insurance.

What happened

Early one night at home, he fell down his stairs and injured his leg. At the time, he didn’t think he had done anything serious. The pain was extreme, however he assumed he just had a minor injury.

He had dinner and a beer, but with the pain becoming increasingly worse, his wife decided to drive him to the Emergency Department of his local hospital.

Shortly after, scans revealed that he had in fact broken his leg and would need at least three months off work to recover.

On admission to the hospital, the doctor had noted he could smell alcohol on our client’s breath, so the Personal Accident insurer immediately declined the claim. We argued that alcohol was consumed AFTER the accident and the hospital had never undertaken a blood test or breathalyser to prove he was intoxicated.

The insurer once again declined the claim.

We then had the matter referred to the insurers Internal Disputes Facility and their management also declined the claim.

The outcome

Not happy with this decision, we involved AFCA (Australian Financial Complaints Authority) who in turned agreed with us and forced the insurer to pay the claim.

The client was extremely happy that he had an insurance broker on his side, armed with knowledge and the facts, in order to push the claim decline further and further, until all options had been exhausted.

The insurer agreed to pay out the claim and we are happy to report that our client has made a full recovery and is back working again.

This true story is another demonstration of our commitment to our clients, and an example of why you should engage a professional insurance broker.

Call Westralian Insurance today on (08) 9302 1388, or visit www.westralianinsurance.com.au