Making an insurance claim can feel overwhelming — particularly after a stressful event like an accident, illness, or property damage. This guide walks through the process clearly so you know what to do, what to document, and what your rights are if a claim is disputed.
Before You Ever Need to Claim
The groundwork for a successful insurance claim is laid long before any event occurs:
- Read your policy when you buy it — understand what’s covered and what’s excluded
- Keep your policy documents accessible — digital copies stored in the cloud, hard copies in a safe place
- Keep receipts for major purchases — particularly for contents insurance claims
- Photograph and document your property — a home contents video walkthrough stored off-site is invaluable if you need to claim for theft or fire
- Disclose accurately — if you didn’t disclose information correctly when buying, a claim may be declined
Step 1: Ensure Safety First
After any event that causes injury, property damage, or crime:
- Ensure everyone’s safety
- Call 111 if there’s injury, fire, or crime in progress
- Move to safety if there’s ongoing risk (flood, gas leak, earthquake aftershocks)
Do not put yourself or others at risk to protect property.
Step 2: Notify Your Insurer Promptly
Most policies require you to notify the insurer as soon as practicable after an event. Delays can complicate claims.
How to notify:
- Phone — most insurers have 24/7 claims lines
- Online — most NZ insurers now have online claims lodgement
- Through your broker — if you have a broker, notify them and they’ll manage the process
When notifying, have ready:
- Your policy number
- A brief description of what happened, when, and where
- Contact details
Step 3: Document Everything
Documentation is the foundation of a successful claim. Immediately after the event:
- Photograph and video the damage — comprehensive, from multiple angles
- Make a list of damaged or stolen items — as detailed as possible, with estimated values
- Keep any damaged items — don’t dispose of anything until the insurer has assessed it (unless it’s a health or safety risk)
- Collect receipts, invoices, and bank statements showing purchase of damaged or stolen items
- Get police reports for theft, burglary, or intentional damage — required by most insurers
- Get witness details if relevant (e.g., a car accident with witnesses)
Step 4: Prevent Further Damage
You have a duty to mitigate (reduce) losses after an event. If your roof is damaged in a storm, cover it with a tarpaulin to prevent further water damage. If a window is broken after a burglary, board it up.
Keep receipts for emergency mitigation work — these costs are often claimable.
Do not undertake permanent repairs until the insurer has assessed the damage.
Step 5: Lodge the Formal Claim
After initial notification, your insurer will ask you to complete a formal claim form. Provide:
- Full description of the event (what happened, when, where, how)
- Itemised list of all losses/damage
- Supporting documentation (photos, receipts, police report, medical reports as relevant)
- Any witness details
Be complete and accurate. Omissions or inaccuracies — even unintentional ones — can complicate or invalidate a claim.
Step 6: Work with the Assessor
For significant claims, the insurer will send an assessor or loss adjuster to evaluate the damage.
Tips:
- Be present during the assessment if possible
- Point out all damage — assessors may miss things
- Ask questions about what’s covered and what’s not
- Get names and contact details of everyone involved
- Follow up in writing after verbal conversations to confirm what was said
Step 7: Review the Settlement Offer
The insurer will make a settlement offer — payment amount, or an offer to repair/replace. Review this carefully:
- Does it cover all the damage you documented?
- Is the valuation of replacement items accurate (replacement value, not depreciated)?
- Is the repair scope adequate?
You don’t have to accept the first offer. If you believe it’s inadequate:
- Request a written explanation of how the offer was calculated
- Provide additional evidence to support a higher valuation
- Ask for a review
What to Do If Your Claim Is Declined
If your insurer declines your claim:
- Ask for the reason in writing — you’re entitled to this
- Review the policy wording against the reason given — is the exclusion clearly applicable?
- Request an internal review — most insurers have a formal complaints process
- Escalate to the Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman (IFSO) — a free, independent dispute resolution service for NZ insurance complaints. Available at ifso.nz.
The IFSO is one of the most important consumer rights tools for NZ insurance. You can access it free of charge. The IFSO can require insurers to pay valid claims.
Your Key Rights as an NZ Insurance Consumer
- The right to a clear written explanation for any declined claim
- The right to an internal review
- The right to take a dispute to IFSO (for most personal lines)
- The right to cancel a policy and receive a refund of unused premium
- Protection under the Fair Insurance Code (voluntary industry code) and Consumer Guarantees Act
- Protection under the Financial Markets Conduct Act for advice received from licensed advisers
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