Homeowners insurance provides you with the peace of mind that comes with knowing that you are protected if theft, property damage, injury on your property or natural disaster occurs. When you are filing a claim for any of these incidents there are certain things you must keep in mind. Listed below are methods to file claims on various types of incidents that homeowners insurance covers.
Making a Claim on Theft and Property Damage
If you have experienced damage or theft to your property the first thing that you should do is contact the police and file a report. In most cases the insurance company will want to see a copy of the police report.
You should also make a list of all the items that have been stolen or damaged and hand it over to the police. Once you have done this you can contact the insurance company and start to make a claim. If you have photos of the stolen or damaged items you will need to give them to the insurance company.
Making a Claim When Somebody is Injured on Your Property
Make sure that the person injured gets the appropriate medical attention. Ideally you should try to get a copy of their medical fees and hand it to your insurance company. The liability section of your insurance policy will cover the medical care they need as well as other issues such as loss of income.
Making a Claim for Damage Caused by a Natural Disaster
After the natural disaster has subsided you should contact your insurance company. Making a claim in this situation should generally be very straightforward as most insurance companies are aware they will be getting a lot of claims following a natural disaster. They may send an insurance agent out to inspect the damage and take photos. Other things they may ask for are receipts or pictures of goods that were damaged.
If the natural disaster is severe there may be a relief program set up by the government. It would be in your best interest to look into this and see if you qualify for whatever program has been set up.
Filing a claim is generally a very simple process if you have the right documentation. This means that you should note down whatever you think may be relevant to your claim. Also make a note of who you speak to at both the insurance company and the police department.