Have you ever had an insurance claim?  Many of my clients worry because they just aren’t sure what to expect or how the process works.  Today I want to walk you through it so you’ll know exactly what to do if you experience a claim.

If you think you have an insurance claim, the first thing to consider is how much damage you have and what your deducible is.  You don’t want to file a claim on your policy if there isn’t enough damage to pay out - it can hurt your claims free discounts or effect your future rates.  

If the damage to your auto or home seems relatively minor, call us first to determine what your deductible is.  You may even want to take your car to a shop or have a roofer come look at your home BEFORE you file the claim if you’re unsure of the cost of repairs.

Once you’re positive that the damage exceeds the deductible, you’ll need to report the loss.  You can call our office or call the insurance company’s claim number directly (this can be found on your policy).  

A representative will take the information over the phone, asking for details about when, where, and how the claim occurred.  Make sure to write down any critical information like dates, other parties names and phone numbers, or any other relevant information you might need to provide.

Once your claim is reported, it will be assigned to a claim handler.  This person is typically the point of contact for all matters of your claim.  They will schedule a time for your home or auto to be looked at by a claims adjustor.

The adjustor will look at your property, review the damage, and estimate the cost of the repair.  Depending on the scale of your loss, the adjustor will assign the payment and finish up your claim quickly.

So what happens if something goes wrong?  Maybe you don’t agree on the amount of damage or feel that the information isn’t accurate.  Call us!  Your agent is your advocate during the claims process.  While we typically aren’t involved in the regular process, we’re ALWAYS available to help you get your questions answered and speak to the company on your behalf as needed.  Most of the time things will run quickly and smoothly without issue.  But if you do experience a problem, we want to help.

And if you need a personal local agent to work with you during your next claim, call us for a quote today!