Even if you meticulously plan a business trip, even the best-laid plans will go to waste if unprecedented events occur, accidents, trip cancellations, baggage loss and other trip-related occurrences all happen to the best of us, and when these happen, there is not much you can do about it, except prepare.

Often the best way to prepare is by taking a single or multi-trip business travel insurance policy that covers you in the event of a disaster, if your a frequent business traveller it may even be more cost-effective to get an annual travel insurance. So you have insurance and something happened but now comes the hard part how do you make sure your claim is successful. Have no fear here are four ways you can give your travel insurance claim the best chance of being successful.

Get the right travel insurance coverage

Choosing the right level of coverage is essential.  If you try to claim something that is not covered in the policy in the first place, this leads to disappointment and frustration.  Before purchasing travel insurance, make sure that you carefully read the policy to check whether your needs are covered.

Understand the insurance claims procedure

It is best to be prepared in case things do not go as planned on a trip. The insured should read and understand the claims procedure so that help can be quickly obtained from the Claims Handler and the Emergency Assistance Company. Most travel insurance companies have a 24-hour emergency assistance service, which provides support 24/7 wherever you are in the world.

Report and document a claim by the book

Well-kept records and clear documentation will allow you to get your claims faster and easier.  If a loss or theft happens on a trip, the insurance company usually requires proper documentation before you can make a claim. It is also important to contact the claims handler as quickly as possible. Providing as much documentary evidence is also beneficial because it would help substantiate and validate your claim. Acceptable evidence includes official receipts, photos of items, medical reports, and police reports.

Submit within the time-frame

All travel and business insurance policies require the insured to not delay their claim submission after the event has occurred.  Most policies have a time limit for making a claim, and most companies ask for a reason why a claim is not submitted immediately. Remember that the sooner you submit a claim, the sooner you will be reimbursed.

These are just some of the elements that make up the most successful travel insurance claims. Travel insurance is actually one of the most frequently used policies in the world.  Knowing how to make a successful claim is essential, as it could save the insured a lot of time and money in the long run.