Thankfully, some of us have never needed to file a claim with our insurance company. Things to think about BEFORE a loss; if you had a partial or total loss, could you list everything in a room of your home? Probably not.
Our tips:
- The best way to document what you have is to take pictures/videos of each room at different angles of the room.
- Open closets and drawers take pictures. Can you remember how many white shirts you own? Or what is in that junk drawer? Don’t forget the garage.
- Store these somewhere other than your home.
- If a loss occurs, call your insurance company or agent and file a claim as soon as possible.
In the event of a loss it is your responsibility to protect your property from further
damage, regardless of the insurance. If some “temporary repairs” need to be made document with photographs prior to making these repairs. Call a contractor to come assess the damage and provide an estimate for the repairs. An adjuster will be assigned to handle your claim; they will walk you thru the process.
Most importantly, be safe! If you have a fire, get out and call 911. Have a planned escape route in the event of a fire in your home so everyone knows what to do. Have a pre-planned spot where your children know to wait for you outside.
Review your coverage’s prior to a loss to be sure you understand your coverage’s and
carry enough coverage to protect or replace your investment. Agents often find out after a loss occurs that insured’s have made improvements to their home that affects the value. To be properly covered the company needs to know prior to the loss.
We all hope this never happens to us, if it does, hopefully a few extra steps ahead of time may ease the pain a little. Don’t put off till tomorrow what “we” should do today..
–Debbie Dixon, Office Manager and Claims
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