The process for making a claim is straightforward. Sometimes it can be difficult to ascertain the extent of damage following a natural disaster event, however it is important to make a claim if you suspect some damage, to ensure you are protected. The EQC Act states that claims must be made within three months of the event, with minimal exceptions.
There are strict time limitations on when you can make a claim, starting from the date the damage occurred. Here are some steps you should follow in order to make an EQCover claim.
- Making your claim
The first step in making an EQCover claim is to contact either your private insurer or EQC. Depending on your insurance policy, you may be insured through a broker, in which case they will help you to lodge your claim with your insurer. You can lodge your claim either online or over the phone, and once it has been received, you will be assigned a claims manager who will be your point of contact throughout the process. - Insurance verification
The next step in the process is insurance verification. EQC needs to check that you have a current private insurance policy for your home, which includes fire insurance. If your claim is managed by EQC, they will contact your private insurer to confirm your coverage. If it is managed by your insurer, they will complete this step automatically. The time it takes to complete insurance verification will depend on the complexity and number of claims for your property. - Assessment of damage
A crucial part of the EQCover claim process is the assessment of damage. Your claims manager will discuss with you the best way to assess the damage to your home and/or land. This may involve an on-site assessment and, depending on the nature of the damage, a further assessment from an engineer or other specialist. If a representative from your insurer or EQC visits your property, make sure you ask to see proper identification. Ensure the expert reviews everything and show them the damage. If you are not happy with the assessment for any reason you may hire your own expert at your expense. - Settlement
Once the assessment is complete, your claims manager will discuss the outcome of your EQCover claim with you. If your claim is accepted, it will most likely be settled through a cash settlement. Your claims manager will explain the outcome of the assessment, the settlement amount, and any excess that has been deducted. Before making the payment, your claims manager will provide you with supporting settlement documents for your records.
What If I disagree with the assessment?
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your claim, you do have the option of engaging your own experts to provide an independent assessment. While engaging experts can be expensive, it can often be the best way to get the maximum entitlement.
Next steps
If you receive an EQCover cash settlement for repairing the disaster damage to your property, you will need to make some decisions about the repair work. We recommend speaking to a lawyer who can advise on the implications of the settlement agreement.
It is important to use the settlement payment for the purpose of repairing or replacing the damaged property, as your future entitlement to EQCover may be affected if it is used for other purposes.
Shine Lawyers – we’re here to help
Shine Lawyers have expert lawyers who have years’ experience dealing with EQCover claims. We can give you practical advice and guide you through the process of making a claim and review any offers you are made by EQC or your insurer to ensure you receive the entitlement you deserve. We can also help engage with experts and instruct engineers on your behalf should you need to provide expert evidence of your own to EQC or your insurer.
Our team will investigate your claim, explain all the options available to you and provide advice on securing the best outcome for your house or land.
Get in touch today to discuss your options.
