Claimant

A claimant is a person or business entity that files a claim for benefits under the provisions of an insurance policy. A claimant can be:

• The person or entity that purchased the insurance and is listed on the policy’s declarations page (also known as the named insured)
• Someone else deemed eligible to make a claim, such as an employee or a vendor (additional insured)

No, a claimant can also be one of your employees or someone outside the business – a third party – who suffered a loss due to your actions or those of someone who works for you.

For example, when one of your employees gets hurt on the job, that employee becomes a claimant under your workers’ compensation policy.

Additionally, if one of your employees rear-ends another vehicle while driving your company car, the owner of that vehicle might seek payment for the damage your employee caused. That person is considered a claimant under your commercial auto insurance.

Claimants do not usually need a lawyer to receive insurance benefits. Insurance companies have claims adjusters or customer service representatives who work directly with claimants to investigate claims and make payments.

However, in cases where losses are significant or when consumers have reason to believe the person responsible for the loss – or that person’s insurer – might resist paying the claim, then claimants may decide to hire an attorney to work directly with the insurer.

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