3 Common Mistakes You Make When Filing an Insurance Claim

Nothing is more frustrating than paying your insurance policy month after month and discovering that, when a claim occurs, your insurer starts putting up obstacles or simply washes their hands of the situation.

In these situations, feeling powerless and stressed is completely normal. What makes it worse is that many insurers are fully aware of this. In practice, delays, ambiguous responses, and initial rejections often form part of a wear-down strategy: the longer the process drags on, the more likely the policyholder is to give up.

Do you believe you are right, but your insurer keeps making excuses or rejecting your claim?
You are probably making one of these mistakes.

1. drafting the claim without a logical or chronological order

When an accident occurs — whether it is damage at home, a car claim, or a problem after a DANA — it is normal to act in a rush and driven by emotion.

Between work, family, and financial concerns, many policyholders immediately contact their insurer hoping for a quick solution. However, a poorly structured claim often works against the policyholder.

If the facts are presented in a confusing or disorganised way, it becomes easier for the insurer to argue that the claim is unclear or that the policy does not cover what actually happened.

It is always advisable to present the case in chronological order, clearly explaining:

• the date of the incident
• how it occurred
• what damage appeared
• how the damage has evolved

The clearer and more structured the account is, the less room the insurer has to make excuses.

2. not providing sufficient evidence from the outset

One of the most common mistakes is assuming that the loss adjuster or the insurer “will see everything anyway”.

The reality is that if damage is not documented, it is very easy for it to be excluded from the report. Incomplete photographs, lack of videos, not keeping invoices, or failing to save communications often result in reduced compensation or outright exclusions.

Understanding the importance of documentation is essential:

the importance of documentation in insurance claims

A well-documented claim completely changes the policyholder’s position. It is not about arguing — it is about proving.

3. failing to link the facts to the policy clauses

Many people place blind trust in what their agent or broker tells them, but forget one essential fact: the policy wording is what ultimately matters.

When submitting a claim, it is not enough to describe the damage. It is highly advisable to link each fact to the specific clause that provides coverage.

This radically changes how the file is handled. When the insurer sees that the policyholder understands the policy and references specific coverages, the scope for rejection or delay is significantly reduced.

4. accepting the first response or the first settlement offer

Another frequent mistake is accepting the first valuation without questioning it.

In many claims, insurers make an initial offer that is clearly below the real damage, expecting the policyholder to accept it out of fatigue or lack of knowledge. This is especially common when there are technical items or non-visible damage.

These situations are often linked to low assessments, where a quick or incomplete inspection leaves real damage out:

low loss assessments: why they happen and how to correct them

Accepting without review is usually a mistake that is difficult to reverse later.

5. giving up when the insurer does not respond

When days go by without a response, many policyholders believe there is nothing more they can do.

However, silence does not mean the claim has been properly closed. On the contrary, it is often the step before a hidden rejection or a stalled file.

Knowing what to do when your insurer does not respond is key to preventing the case from being lost through exhaustion:

my insurer does not respond: what to do

It is also important to remember that policyholders have rights even when the insurer delays or fails to respond. Knowing these rights completely changes your negotiating position:

policyholder rights: how to enforce your claim

in summary

Claiming against your insurer should not be an ordeal, but in practice it is for many people. Avoiding these mistakes does not automatically guarantee compensation, but it does place you in a much stronger position to defend your claim.

In many cases, the issue is not that the policy does not cover the loss, but that the claim was not properly presented from the start.

Insurers have very defined procedures for analysing, filtering, and closing claims. When policyholders are unaware of these mechanisms, the balance usually tips against them.

That is why, when facing a denied claim, an ambiguous response, or prolonged silence, it is essential to review the file with technical criteria, identify where the blockage occurred, and act with a clear strategy.

If you want to understand the full process and avoid mistakes from the beginning, here we explain step by step how to properly claim damages to homes and businesses:

how to properly claim damages to homes and businesses

These situations are part of many of the cases we analyse daily at MataSeguros, helping policyholders redirect claims that seemed lost and recover what they are truly entitled to.

bonus: quick checklist before claiming (10 minutes)

If you are about to file a claim (or have already been told no), review this before moving forward. It will help you avoid 80% of the most common blocks:

1. facts in chronological order (date, what happened, damage, evolution)
2. clear photos and videos (with dates if possible)
3. urgent evidence (quotes, invoices, technical reports, temporary repairs)
4. saved communications (emails, messages, claim numbers, calls)
5. identified clauses (which coverage applies and why)
6. anticipated “hidden” damage (internal damp, installations, wiring, insulation, etc.)
7. do not accept the first offer without review
8. request everything in writing (especially if they say “not covered”)
9. control deadlines (if there is no response, do not let it drift)
10. if there is technical doubt, independent adjuster or file review

If you wish, we can review your claim file and tell you (with no obligation) whether documentation is missing, the claim is poorly structured, or the insurer is applying procedures that work against you.