When you have an insurance plan that covers your property, you have every right to make a claim if that property is damaged. While some insurance carriers will settle fairly, there is a risk that your carrier could deny your claim or drag out the claims process.
To avoid that kind of issue, you should know how to make an insurance claim and what to expect after you do.
How can you make a home insurance claim?
If your home is damaged due to arson or because of another party, such as a person who crashes a vehicle into it, then you may need to contact the police and make a police report. Whether or not you do this will depend on how the damage occurred.
The second thing you should do is reach out to your home insurance agent to let them know that your home needs repairs or coverage. No two policies are the same, so you should look at yours to see if there is a specific way that the claim should be reported.
When you speak with the insurance agent, you should stick to the facts about the damage. It is their job to determine how much that damage is worth and if the claim should be paid. Fill out any forms they give you as soon as you can to help this process along.
After this, you should take steps to document every piece of damage. That documentation can be submitted with your claim to help show how serious the damage is.
The insurance adjuster may come to your property to assess the damage. They may also want to speak with you. If you’re uncomfortable, you can ask your attorney to handle this aspect of the case.
After the meeting, reach out to local contractors and professionals to find out if the amount of money you’re being offered for your claim is reasonable. If it won’t cover the repairs, then you should discuss negotiating with the insurance company with the assistance of your attorney. They’ll help you fight for a fair payout or appeal a decision not to pay out at all.