Sometimes people just don't follow instructions. Even though every insurance policy clearly instructs the insureds on where and to whom a claim should be reported, most agents probably have had insureds contact them instead of the carrier to report a claim. How should you respond if this happens to you?

The first option is to refer the insured to the policy and advise him to report the claim in accordance with policy instructions. But there are risks to this approach.

One, of course, is the customer-service issue. Another is if your client doesn't follow through and report the claim, or if he misunderstands your instructions and the claim is later denied, he will blame you.

Want to continue reading?
Become a Free PropertyCasualty360 Digital Reader

Your access to unlimited PropertyCasualty360 content isn’t changing.
Once you are an ALM digital member, you’ll receive:

  • Breaking insurance news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
  • Weekly Insurance Speak podcast featuring exclusive interviews with industry leaders
  • Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
  • Critical converage of the employee benefits and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, BenefitsPRO and ThinkAdvisor
NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.

Agency Management
Commercial Lines
E&S/Specialty
Litigation