Steps to Take to File a Claim with Your Homeowners’ Insurance Carrier
Have you recently suffered property damage to your home or business? When you have an unforeseen incidence that has left you with broken, damaged, or lost property and belongings, you will want to quickly file a claim with your insurance company to recover compensation. If you are a policyholder, you want to trust a public insurance claims adjuster in central Florida to help through the claims process. These are a few steps you need to take to start the insurance claims process.
Contact Your Insurance Company
It would be best if you got in touch with your insurance company as soon as possible after a loss has occurred to file a claim. Reach out to them immediately if you can. You may have to call the insurance provider directly if no local representatives are available. Be sure to write down the title and name of the person you spoke with to refer to your contact later.
Mitigate Any Further Damage
In the aftermath of a loss, it is your responsibility to take reasonable measures to safeguard your property as outlined in your policy. If your roof has been damaged by a fire, a heavy downpour could make the situation worse. Under the terms of your insurance, you have an obligation to take reasonable steps to mitigate any further damage. Inadequate property protection could cast doubt on your entire claim and make the adjuster wary and suspicious.
Substantiate Your Losses
You must provide evidence of your financial losses during this period. This necessitates keeping broken possessions inside the house until an insurance adjuster can assess their worth. A photographic record of the destruction will serve as a helpful reminder of the events in the house.
Walk around your property and take lots of photos from different angles. When communicating with insurance adjusters and, of course, your agent, it's a good idea to compile an inventory of your home's possessions. Do this both before and after the claim.
Avoid Tossing Damaged Items
You will be asking the insurance company to pay for the worth of damaged items. If you were in their shoes, you would also plan to inspect the items before disposal properly. So, this is crucial, and many people forget to do this. The insurance company still needs to pay out if the insured item has been lost or stolen and cannot be located.
Keep in mind that it will be more challenging but not impossible to reclaim any missing items. Keep the broken items too. And see if your insurer will take your destroyed or damaged belongings or if there is a time limit on disposing of them.
When you have suffered from property damage, you want to trust the right professionals to help you through the claims process. As a public insurance claims adjuster in central Florida, we offer our advocacy to the homeowner to meet your needs. Contact us to hear about our insurance adjuster services today!
