In this article, we focus on Excess – the amount which you have to pay when you claim from your insurer (whether you are at fault or not) unless if you have elected to pay an additional premium for an excess-free policy. So, what exactly is an excess and why do insurers apply these charges to insurance claims? What is an excess? An excess is the uninsured portion of your loss or that portion of the claim you must pay for. When the amount that is claimed is less than the excess, no payment will be made by your insurer. Why do you pay an excess? Insurers use excesses as a way to make sure that you do not claim for every small loss. They do so not only for their own benefit but for all policyholders to ensure that insurance does not become unaffordable, because eliminating these claims and their associated costs helps keep premiums lower for you. An excess also acts as an incentive to ensure that you take responsibility for the safety and security of your possessions. Are there different types of excesses? There are many different types of excesses used by insurers. As a general rule of thumb – the lower the premium relative to the market standard the higher the excesses. Examples as follows:
The insurer needs to bring to your attention, when the contract of insurance is entered into, the standard excess and all other excesses that may be applicable when you claim. You can always enquire from your insurer if an excess can be completely done away with. This is referred to as an excess waiver. The important thing is that you understand why and when you pay an excess so that you can make an informed decision when taking out the insurance. Does an insurer have to recover the excess you paid? If someone else has caused your loss, the insurer may be able to recover the cost of the claim, including the excess you paid, from them or their insurer. The success of a full recovery however depends on several factors, including whether you identified the other party, whether they admitted fault, whether there are any witnesses, whether they have insurance and, if not, whether they have the ability to pay. What if your insurer does not recover the excess you paid? If the insurer decides that it is not going to attempt a recovery of the claim cost or it does not succeed in making a recovery, the insurer should advise you so that you can decide whether to attempt a recovery of your excess yourself. With the consent of the insurer, you may then proceed to recover your excess directly from the third party. We at Daberistic believe that by providing the right advice and solution to clients, we can create win-win relationships which will ultimately benefit everyone. If you are looking for advice on your short-term insurance needs, you can contact us on the following channels:
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorKevin Yeh Archives
January 2025
Categories
All
|