How To File an Insurance Claim
A guide by A. Schoeneman
Yeah, we know it - no one likes to think about having to file an insurance claim.
But, just as that famous slogan from an insurance company stated, “it is better to have insurance and not need it than to need it and not have it.”
Effectively, it is better to know how to file an insurance claim and never have to put it into practice than having to do it and having no clue how to do it. That’s why we brought this article to you, so you can easily learn how to file an insurance claim in case of an accident, whether it happens to you or to a neighbor or friend that needs your help.
Without further ado, let’s get started:
Call the authorities if necessary: if someone robbed you, or if there was an accident, or if anyone’s injured, the first logical step is to call 911. Police reports are helpful for the following claim process since they give a detailed chronicle on the events, which makes the claim process much more manageable.
Gather as much information as you possibly can: your insurance policy numbers, blueprints of your house, police reports, the recordings of the neighborhood’s surveillance cameras, and any other material that might be useful. Besides, you need to make a detailed list of all your losses and damages, and logistical expenses that are a direct consequence of the accident.
Contact your insurance company: we recommend contacting a public adjuster to help you from now on. Make sure to not postpone this for long since insurance companies can set deadlines as short as 30 days. When you contact them, they’ll make you give them an estimate of your minimum settlement amount, which you need to calculate beforehand (have your public adjuster help you with this). Feel free to give them your estimate, but never do it before any offer from them - that’s a basic negotiation rule. Aside from that, you’ll also have to fill out a Proof Of Loss Statement, and they will ask you for a detailed list of your losses and damages, which you have all written down from the previous step.
File your claim: you can do this through a mobile app, a phone call, e-mail, or fax. It’s up to you! Now, all that’s left to do is wait for the insurance adjuster, who will perform a thorough inspection of your property to get to the bottom of what happened. They will give their hypothesis and recommend how much the insurance company should pay for the damages.
Filing an insurance claim is not pleasant. However, it’s like changing a tire: everyone should know how to do it. Nonetheless, it doesn’t matter how much we’ve researched; we’re always going to be amateurs at this unless we become professionals. Luckily for us, we can hire one! A. Schoeneman is a family-owned insurance public claim adjuster, Chicago’s choice when it comes to home insurance. Visit their website to know more!
