Liberty Mutual Insurance Claims: How To File

Liberty Mutual Insurance Claims

Filing insurance claims with Liberty Mutual can be a complex task. Individuals can choose different options when filing a claim with Liberty Mutual, including using the Liberty Mutual mobile application, going to the Liberty Mutual website, and calling Liberty Mutual’s customer service line.

Dealing with the insurance claims process while protecting your rights can be difficult against the aggressive legal teams at Liberty Mutual, as they are one of the biggest insurance providers in the US. It might be easier getting your life back on track after an accident, especially when you are covered by large insurance companies like Liberty Mutual. But what exactly does Liberty Mutual Insurance mean as a claims policyholder? 

Overview of Liberty Mutual

Liberty Mutual Group is an American diversified global insurer and the sixth-largest property and casualty insurer in the United States. Founded in 1912, it offers a wide range of insurance products and services, including personal automobile, homeowners, workers’ compensation, commercial multiple peril, commercial automobile, general liability, global specialty, group disability, fire insurance, and surety.

Liberty ranks 71st on the Fortune 100 list of largest corporations in the United States based on 2020 revenue. With its headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts, and featuring the Statue of Liberty (formally Liberty Enlightening the World) on its logo, it employs over 45,000 people in more than 900 locations throughout the world.

In the United States, Liberty Mutual remains a mutual company in which policyholders holding insurance contracts are considered shareholders in the company. However, the company’s brand usually operates as a separate entity outside the United States. It often creates a subsidiary in countries that cannot enjoy legally recognized mutual-company benefits.

Liberty Mutual’s business insurance products

These are the top insurance policies from Liberty Mutual:

General liability insurance

This is a must-have for business owners. It helps cover costs that arise due to bodily injury, personal injury, property damage and advertising injury (libel, slander and copyright infringement). As a rule, liability coverage applies only to third-party claims, such as if a customer falls in your parking lot or an employee damages a customer’s property while on a job site.

General liability insurance does not cover damage to your own property or injuries to your employees. That kind of situation would require commercial property insurance and workers’ compensation coverage.

Liberty Mutual offers general liability insurance as a stand-alone policy or bundled with property insurance as part of its business owners’ policy.

Business Owners Policy (BOP)

Liberty Mutual’s business owners policy (BOP) combines general liability and commercial property coverages together under one policy. So, you’d be covered if your business were to be sued by a third party for claims like bodily injury, property damage, and personal injury or if some of your business’s equipment or furniture were to be damaged by a covered peril.

Workers’ compensation insurance

Liberty Mutual offers workers’ compensation insurance to protect business owners if an employee is injured on the job or becomes ill as a result of their work. Most states mandate workers’ compensation coverage for businesses with at least one employee, though some states have a higher threshold.

Workers’ compensation covers the employee’s medical expenses and also shields businesses from lawsuits related to the incident. It typically covers the following expenses:

  • Immediate medical care.
  • Rehabilitation.
  • Disability and lost wages.
  • Survivor benefits.

Workers’ compensation won’t pay out if the employee’s injury occurred while performing a personal task, under the influence of drugs or alcohol or participating in a voluntary recreational activity.

Professional liability

Professional liability, or errors and omissions (E&O) policies protect a service-oriented business against claims of negligence, inaccurate advice, misrepresentation, or failure to disclose important information.

Liberty Mutual offers options for contractors and designers, architects and engineers, technology professionals, lawyers, and more.

Commercial auto insurance

If your business uses vehicles as part of its operations, Liberty Mutual’s commercial auto and fleet policies can provide coverage for things like liability, physical damage, and uninsured motorists. Whether you rely on company-owned cars, employees’ personal cars, or hired or leased vehicles, you should contact a Liberty Mutual agent for more information on its policies.

Liberty Mutual’s commercial auto insurance can cover a single business vehicle or an entire fleet.

Commercial property

These policies provide coverage for businesses with a physical location, inventory, and equipment. It can help repair, replace, or rebuild damaged property after a covered loss, like fire, vandalism, theft, or severe weather, occurs. Liberty Mutual’s commercial property policies are tailored for businesses of varying sizes and needs.

Management liability

Liberty Mutual’s management liability policies protect company leaders against lawsuits that are based on the activities of company management, finances, benefits, and governance. This can include liability for directors and officers (D&O), school leaders, fiduciaries, employment practices, and public officials.

Healthcare liability

This type of policy protects companies in the healthcare industry, like HMOs, healthcare providers and programs, hospitals, and long-term care facilities. It offers stop-loss coverage, property and casualty coverage, and reinsurance coverage designed to mitigate the legal, financial, and reputational risks that come with being in the industry.

Equipment breakdown

If physical equipment is necessary to keep your business running, this type of insurance can help cover the associated risks. For example, it can cover short circuits, power surges, and other unexpected losses when they damage equipment or systems like computers, kitchen appliances, and production machinery.

That includes repair and replacement costs and losses from spoiled products, as well as resulting lost income.

Environmental liability

These policies cover companies that have risks related to environmental factors, such as site pollution, contractor legalities, and emergency cleanups. The coverages included will depend on the package. For example, the environmental protection policy has general liability, contractor pollution liability, site pollution liability, and professional liability.

Excess and surplus lines (E&S)

Excess and surplus lines (E&S) policies help cover companies with complex needs that standard insurance policies may not meet due to high and unique risks. This can include both property and liability coverages. E&S policies are provided by non-admitted or unauthorized insurance carriers, meaning they don’t have to be licensed within your state to provide you with coverage.

Ironshore, a Liberty Mutual company and wholesale distribution channel, provides the E&S policies.

Inland marine

These policies are a specialized form of property coverage. Liberty Mutual’s inland marine policies can help cover gaps in standard property policies if, for example, your business has assets that are under construction or regularly move locations. It can also include inventory that is moving between locations.

Despite the use of the word “marine,” this typically only applies to transit over land, or assets that are temporarily warehoused by a third party.

Ocean marine

Unlike inland marine, ocean marine specifically covers assets on or near the water. For instance, companies that build ships, port operators, cargo owners, and vessel operators can find tailored coverage, such as marine liability and marine hull protection and indemnity.

How do Liberty Mutual insurance claims work?

You can file a claim over the phone or through the Liberty Mutual website. Filing online usually takes about 10 minutes, and a claims representative typically gets back to you within two business days. With a Liberty Mutual online account, you can upload documents, schedule repairs and track your claim’s progress with ease. 

Once you receive an estimate and schedule your repairs, Liberty Mutual will issue a check for the repair costs minus your deductible. If you choose a repair facility in the company’s Guaranteed Repair Network, Liberty Mutual will send payment directly to the shop.

How to file claims with Liberty Mutual Insurance

Go to the hospital

Going to the hospital is important for you as a car accident victim for a few different reasons. First, it will lead to prompt injury diagnosis and the treatments you need to optimize healing and recovery after a car crash. Waiting could exacerbate your injuries.

Second, it could show an insurance company that your injuries were serious enough to warrant immediate medical attention. Third, it demonstrates to the insurer that did your part to recover from your injuries.

An insurer will look to see if you were negligent in any way that might have contributed to the bodily injury you are claiming, such as failing to go to the hospital right away or ignoring a doctor’s treatment plan. Obtaining immediate medical care after a car accident could protect you physically and financially.

Gather information about your accident

If an at-fault driver has Liberty Mutual Insurance coverage, you will need to call the company to file a claim as soon as possible. Before you make the call, gather some facts about your case.

  • The name of the other driver
  • The driver’s insurance policy number
  • A description of all vehicles involved
  • License plate numbers
  • Whether the crash caused any injuries
  • Some details of the accident

The insurance agent that takes your claim might ask you these questions as well as others.

However, only provide answers to the questions asked. Do not offer the insurance claims adjuster extraneous information or long, narrative answers. Never admit fault during conversations with an insurance agent from Liberty Mutual. The agent could use this as a reason to deny your claim.

File your claim

Once you have the relevant information, call your own insurance provider to report the crash. Make the call as soon as possible after the car accident. Even if you were not at fault, your insurer will want to know you were in an accident. Then, either call the at-fault driver’s insurance company directly or wait for its insurance adjuster to call you. This may take a day or two.

If you wish to call Liberty Mutual Insurance directly, dial 1-844-525-2467. You can also submit a claim online. Give the agent the name of the driver to access his or her policy information. Deal with the claims process as quickly as you can to make sure you meet any deadlines the company might impose.

Protect your rights as a claimant

Once an insurance adjuster from Liberty Mutual contacts you, be careful what you say. The agent from Liberty Mutual will want to save the insurance company money rather than maximize your financial recovery after a car accident. The agent may be waiting for you to make a mistake or say the wrong thing to hurt your chances of obtaining compensation.

You might need an insurance lawyer to handle correspondence with Liberty Mutual on your behalf.

Protect yourself by documenting everything. Keep track of all discussions you have with the insurance agent by recording them or writing down the details immediately after you hang up. Avoid coming to any agreements without first contacting your attorney. Do not agree to give the adjuster a recorded statement and do not sign anything unless required by law enforcement.

Before you say yes to the first settlement offer, contact a lawyer to find out if it is in your best interests. A car accident lawyer can assist you with every step of your claim.

References

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