You may find it necessary to file a claim for property damage at some point due to damages from a fire or storm or if an injury occurs on your property. Here are some things you should know about property damage insurance:
Understand Your Policy
Before filing a claim, you should make sure you go over your insurance policy carefully to learn about any exclusions, limits, and provisions that are added on, such as additional coverage for big-ticket personal items, that may be included in your policy. It’s also important to find out if there’s a time limit on when you can file your claim. The most important part of making a claim is the documentation, such as retaining receipts and noting who you talk to by logging the date, time, and details of discussions. You may be talking to several people in the course of a day, so documenting who you’ve spoken to, and when, should help your file process run much more smoothly.
Filing A Police Report
For certain types of claims, your home insurance provider may require a police report to be filed. Once this report is filed, provide it to your insurance company to support your claim. Many property damage insurance policies require a police report if theft or an act of vandalism has occurred, for example.
Contacting Your Insurance Company
Call your insurance company as soon as possible after the incident occurs to file your claim. The claims department will assign your case a claims number and an insurance adjuster, and he or she will be responsible for assessing the damage and estimating the costs. The adjuster’s job is to help your insurance company determine how much will be paid out to you for replacement or repairs.
Documentation
If your home has been damaged or burglarized, photograph or videotape the damage so you can provide documented proof to your insurance company. You may need this documentation if the insurance company gives you a lower payout than expected and you need to appeal. If there was an injury involved, log all the details, such as the date, time, and specifics of the incident. Providing these details to your insurance company can help the claims process move more quickly.
Additional Expenses
If you ended up needing to leave your home and need to make a claim for additional living expenses, make sure you keep all of the receipts for costs to be reimbursed.
Repairs
If you have a leaky roof or water damage that may make your home unlivable, consider temporary repairs if doing nothing could cause further damage. Make sure you keep all these receipts for repairs and give them to your insurance company so they can reimburse you. You will want to make copies for your own records.
If you experience damage to your property, keep in mind that the professionals here at Ascension General Contractors are available to help you get back to normal as quickly as possible. We are a full-service repair company, and proud to serve Nashville residents.
