How to make a claim in catastrophic circumstances | Master Builders Insurance Brokers

During a catastrophe

1. Get to safety.
   
   
2. Help out others in your care get to safety (only if it's safe for you to do so).

After a catastrophe

1. Contact your insurer or insurance broker and notify them of the catastrophe.
   
   
2. Inform your insurer or insurance broker of the items or works that are damaged or destroyed and provide your insurer or insurance broker with:
   
   
1. Applicable claim(s) form (your insurer or insurance broker will send this to you).
   
   
2. The invoices for the items damaged or destroyed.
   
   
3. Signed contracts, for example building contracts.
   
   
4. Photos of items before and after catastrophe (if available).
   
   
5. Quotes for replacement/rectification (if available).
   
   
3. Your insurance broker or insurer will progress the claim on your behalf, giving you regular updates as they go.
   
   
1. Your insurer or insurance broker may contact you and request further documents or information.
   
   
2. Your insurer will likely appoint a loss adjuster or assessor who will be in contact with you. Their job is to assess the amount claimed for reasonableness.
   
   

My insurer declined (or partially declined) my claim. What now?

1. If your insurer declines the claim, they will provide you with the reasoning for the decline and also information on their Internal Dispute Resolution (IDR) process. This is a service that all insurers are required to provide. The IDR process will review the reasons for the claim being declined and provide you with their reasoning why they agree or disagree with the decline.
   
   
2. If the IDR process agrees that the claim should be declined, you may still be able to commence an External Dispute Resolution process via the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA). More information on that process can be obtained from your insurer, insurance broker or the AFCA website: afca.org.au