Filing a Homeowners Insurance Claim

If you have experienced an accident on your property where someone is injured or your property is damaged, you will need to file a claim with your home insurance company. A homeowners insurance policy is a contract between you and your insurance company where in the event that your home or property is damaged, or someone is injured on your property, your insurance will cover to replace and pay for damages. There are many rules, procedures and regulations that you need to follow, as well as your insurance company – the best place to start to understand how to file a homeowners insurance claim is with your policy in hand so you can see what your responsibilities are as the insured.
Was there a crime committed? If there was a crime committed, the first thing you should do is alert the police and file a full report. You should have a copy of the police report and the names of all the police and law enforcement people you speak with and have that on hand, with your police case number when you call your home insurance agent.
Call your insurance agent or insurance company (if you deal with them directly) right away. Most insurance companies have a time limit for you to file your claim with them – which should be your first question to them. Then you need to find out if you are covered, how much the claim will be and if it exceeds the amount of your deductible or not, and how long it will take to process your claim. Your insurance company or agent will probably tell you that you need to get estimates for the damage and costs for repairs.
The next step for you is to prevent further damage. Save any receipt for what you do to prevent further damage and submit them to your insurance company for reimbursement. Next, start taking stock of your losses. Make a list of damaged, stolen or lost property. Don’t throw anything away, an adjustor will want to come and take a look before it is considered ‘trash’. You should take a photo of the damage, or even a video. Get your receipts for any of the property that you will be claiming and make copies of your list and the receipts for the adjustor.
If you have to leave your home while repairs are made, keep all the receipts for expenses that you’ve incurred while out of your home. Most homeowner’s insurance policies cover expenses for the loss of the use of your home.
Once you have all of that done, you will need to get claim forms from the company. When you receive the claim forms, fill them out right away and send them back to the insurance company. This will help avoid any delays in the payment of your claim and the reparations to your home.
Now, the adjuster will come and visit your home to inspect the damages done to your property and possessions. You & your insurance company will then have discussions about the settlement for your home and you will be sent your payment. In most cases, homeowners insurance claims are settled quickly, but if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact your insurance agent or broker, the insurance company, or the state department of insurance.