What to Know About Filing a Beauty Claim

No one wants to think about what can happen in an emergency, but knowing what to do is critical to handle any bad situation. Even though no beauty professional would intentionally harm one of their clients, accidents and allergic reactions can happen to anyone. The best thing you can do to help your clients and understand what you need to do to file a beauty claim is to prepare before it happens. 

When a client is hurt, and you need to file a beauty insurance claim, stay calm and follow this simple guide. We’ll cover what to do immediately after an incident, how to help your clients, what to do when filling a beauty insurance claim, and how Elite Beauty Society’s beauty insurance can help. If something goes wrong with a client or an accident occurs, don’t panic, we’ve got you covered. 

When Something Goes Wrong

As a cosmetologist or esthetician, you work very closely with your clients. While this is a physical proximity, it typically is an emotional closeness as well. A good beauty professional usually has regulars who they will form a relationship with and get to know well. The relationship can make it all the more difficult when an incident occurs and the client is hurt or distressed. 

As a beauty professional, you have a duty of care to act professionally and carefully toward your clients. However, accidents can still happen while a client is under your care. If a client gets injured in your salon or has a bad reaction to a product you use, it could be a scary situation. 

So, what do you do right after an incident occurs? Follow these steps:

  • Stay calm: When a client gets hurt in your chair, one of the first things to remember is to stay calm. You can’t help anyone without a level head. We know an emergency situation is scary and can cause you to panic but you need to be prudent in helping them.
  • Get emergency services: Depending on the nature of their injury, your client may need to go to the emergency room. If it is a severe accident or they are in physical pain, it's important to call 911 as soon as possible.
  • Don’t assume someone else will get help: Unfortunately, most people don’t know what to do in an emergency. If you need someone else to call emergency services, make sure you tell someone specific to call or do a task. This directness will help eliminate any ambiguity or confusion.
  • Give specific details to the EMTs: The more information they have about the situation, the better they can help the injured client.
  • Write everything down: Once an EMT or a doctor has seen your client, write everything down about the incident. The details matter, so remember things like products used, timing, who was present, who called for help, how it happened, etc. The more information you have about an incident, the better you can prepare for the aftermath. It’s easy to go fuzzy-brained in an emergency; you will want to write details down while you remember them.
  • Contact your insurance company: Once the dust settles a little, take a deep breath and call your insurance provider. As soon as you can give your insurance provider information about an incident, the better they can help you prepare. Remember those details you wrote down? Now’s the time to share them with your agent.
  • Take time to process: Everyone handles a traumatic event in their own way. Make sure you take some time to process what happened in your own way. If the incident was especially traumatic, consider talking to a therapist or good friends about the accident. An incident when a client is injured can affect everyone differently. Be sure to take care of yourself and your mental health after an accident. 

Making a Beauty Insurance Claim

Now that your client is taken care of, you’ll need to file a claim with your insurance company. When you file a beauty claim, you’ll need to have several pieces of information ready. When you contact your agent, be prepared to go through every detail of the incident. Since we like to make it easy on our members, we’ve created a checklist of some examples of the information you may need when you file a beauty claim with your beauty insurance company. 

Here’s some of the information your beauty insurance agent might ask for:

  • Your information: One of the first things an insurance agent needs to know is who you are. If you have your member number handy, that can help speed up the process.
  • What happened: Next, you’ll tell them about the incident. You will need to convey how it happened, the injuries, and who was involved. Here is where writing down details can help you remember everything. You’ll go over the incident in as much detail as you can.
  • Who was involved: The insurance provider will need to know who was involved. They’ll need to know the injured person’s name and any other info you have. If you were able to get your client’s insurance information, that can help your agent even more.
  • When the incident happened: Ideally, you’ll call your beauty insurance agent the same day as the incident, but if you are not able to contact them right away, let them know precisely when the accident happened. 

Keep In Mind

Once you have filed a claim, unfortunately, your journey is just beginning. However, with the proper steps in place, you can be on your way to moving past the whole ordeal. An accident that injures a client is never easy, but it doesn’t have to be devastating. As long as you prepare ahead of time and know some potential aftereffects, the future will look much more manageable. 

Here’s what you should bear in mind after filing a beauty insurance claim:

  • Have patience: After a claim has been filed, patience is important. Even though something can go wrong instantly, it can take a while to organize and process a claim. Don’t expect results right away.
  • Know your rights: Information is power after an incident. Spend time reading and studying your beauty insurance policy, the legal process, rights, and anything else that may be relevant to your claim. Gathering as much information as possible is a great way to prepare for the future.
  • Get ready to tell your side a lot: Odds are, you will tell your insurance agent what happened, and that’ll be the last time it’s needed. However, if the insurance agency needs more info or needs to make multiple calls about the incident, be ready to tell your side when needed.
  • Prepare for a long journey: In most cases, an insurance claim is fairly straightforward, but there are occasions when it can drag on. If your claim is taken to court, it can be a long and arduous process. Be ready if it takes longer than expected.
  • Get the help you need: We’ve mentioned it before, but your mental health is important. If you were traumatized by the incident or the aftermath was overwhelming, talk to a therapist and get the counseling you need.
  • Keep up normal life: While you should take the time to recuperate after an incident, it’s also important to get back to your routine. Once you’re up to it, start working again, get back to the gym, and keep stock of your mental health. Returning to your everyday life can help you to heal after a traumatic incident.
  • Check-in with your insurance agent: Though there’s no need to call every day, you should occasionally check in with your insurance provider to see if there are any updates. A quick phone call or email can help set your mind at ease and stay informed about the situation. 

How Beauty Insurance Helps After an Incident

If you have beauty insurance, an incident doesn’t need to be devastating. A beauty liability insurance policy can help cover the cost of a liability lawsuit claim against you. This means that insurance can pick up the bill to pay compensation for medical expenses, loss of income, property damage, and even legal representation. 

The time to prepare for a liability incident is before it ever happens. Beauty insurance with EBS is hands-down the best way to ensure you’re protected from the cost of a beauty liability claim. 

Remember, our beauty insurance policy goes well beyond liability coverage. True, we include protection for professional liability and general liability, but you’ll also have a full suite of additional coverage like identity theft protection, and more. From a slip and fall to identity theft, we make comprehensive coverage affordable and accessible so our members never have to worry over the what-ifs. 

Get Beauty Insurance Today

Get beauty insurance today if you want to be as prepared as possible when something goes wrong. Signing up only takes a few minutes, and your coverage starts immediately. You can have peace of mind for the future in no time.