Filing a homeowners insurance claim after being hit by a tornado, burglary or vandalism may seem daunting at first. Your independent agent will be there to guide and represent your interests through this process.
Use these tips to simplify the claims process as much as possible. Be sure to document any damages with pictures or video footage, and save receipts for temporary repairs or living expenses.
1. Contact Your Insurance Company
Once damage occurs to your home or personal property, filing an insurance claim can seem like an impossible task. But learning the basics of contacting your insurer and filing your claim can ease some stress; this blog post will discuss these steps and provide tips for overcoming any hurdles along the way.
At the outset of any homeowners insurance claim process, the first step should be assessing damage. This may range from structural to theft or vandalism of personal property; be sure to document it all thoroughly – taking photos and videos will help demonstrate losses to an insurance provider.
Your insurance provider will likely send an adjuster out to assess the damage and file a report, which can take several weeks. It is crucial that you communicate effectively with this adjuster during this period; keep a log of interactions (with names, titles and contact information for future disputes). Typically, they will then issue you a payout check that can help repair or replace lost items in your home or replace lost belongings.
2. File a Claim
Homeowners insurance claims involve reporting an incident to your insurer. These incidents could range from structural damage from natural disasters or theft or vandalism of personal belongings. When something may fall under your policy’s coverage, carefully assess its effects before determining if filing a claim would be worthwhile.
Consider whether the loss meets or exceeds your policy’s deductible. If it will only exceed it by a marginal amount, paying out-of-pocket could save money for future damages or emergencies. Also take care not to file too many claims in too short a time period as that could increase premiums significantly.
Reach out to your insurance provider to determine what forms and procedures they require of you, they will likely assign an adjuster, and it’s essential that damage be documented through photos as well as creating a list of lost items (commonly known as home inventory). Keep all documentation organized into an accordion file, binder or digital folder for easy reference.
3. Document the Damage
Documenting all damages properly is key when filing a homeowner’s insurance claim, and providing more documents will make the process run more efficiently as an adjuster will be able to see and assess them quickly and accurately.
Start by conducting a comprehensive property inventory and taking photos of any damage. Next, compile a comprehensive list of damaged items including valuables. It may be wise to also create a video inventory, as this provides dynamic representations of damage that complement your photographic evidence.
Filing a police report, particularly if theft or vandalism are the motivations, will allow police officers to gather more information on the crime and hasten the claims process. Furthermore, document all communications between you and your insurance provider as a record will help avoid any misunderstandings or disputes in future.
4. Communicate with Your Insurance Company
Your home insurance provider will assign a claims manager or team to manage your claim, who will assess whether damage is covered and work towards settling it, less any deductible amount due. Communication is key during this process – your adjuster should be able to answer any of your queries; however, if they give contradictory or inconsistent answers, it would be wise to document those interactions as soon as they occur.
Your first step should be keeping an activity log of everything that happens with regards to insurance claims and who was involved, who you spoke with and when. Doing this will enable you to ensure you’re not receiving inconsistent or mistreatment information from the insurer.
When your adjuster cannot resolve an issue or you disagree with their decision, filing an appeal might be necessary. Before doing so, however, it’s wise to thoroughly evaluate their decisions in order to identify which aspects need formal challenging or disputing as well as to ensure you’re communicating effectively for your situation.
5. Appeal
Based on the circumstances surrounding your claim, filing a formal appeal could be necessary in order to challenge an insurance company’s decision. If this occurs, be sure to follow their stipulated appeal process and submit your letter within the timeframe given. Ideally, you will also have collected sufficient documentation and evidence supporting your position that the damage or loss should be covered under policy; an independent assessment could also help provide guidance in making this decision.
Homeowners insurance companies are for-profit businesses that may try to minimize payouts, so it’s understandable if you run into problems when trying to collect on a claim. You are entitled to fair treatment from your insurer; if they treat you unfairly, contact your state’s insurance department or hire an attorney as appropriate to handle the situation for you. By taking an active role and gathering supporting documents as per their specified claims processes, your chances of successfully disputing an unfair or low settlement increase.
