Make Filing A Claim After A Natural Disaster Easier

14 October 2015 by Elijah Steward

When you live in an area that is prone to natural disasters, it is important to have your insurance paper work in place. This will make it easier to file your claims when you need to. This will take you through the things you can do before the disaster to streamline the process.

Understand Your Coverage

Many policies will exclude some natural disasters from coverage. U.S News and World Report recommends that you review your policy to see if you need to purchase additional insurance to cover flooding and earthquakes. Most insurance will cover wind damage, but you should double check to make sure you are covered. Additionally, you need to make sure you have enough insurance to cover repairs and replacement for your possessions.

Create an Inventory

When you make a claim, your insurance agency will need to know what to replace and the cost of the items. It helps to keep receipts of your major purchases in one central location. Additionally, you can take photos of the items and the receipts to make the claim process much easier. These need to be stored in a safe place that is off site. You can make two copies or keep a digital one on a cloud-based server so that you can access your inventory quickly.

Keep Your Policy Number Handy and Safe

You should always store a copy of your insurance policy and inventory offsite from your house. However, if the area is hit especially hard, you may have a difficult time accessing it if you have the only copy in a safe deposit box at the bank. You can take a copy with you in your emergency evacuation bag. It also helps to have a digital copy as well. This can speed up the process since you can submit it electronically.

Be Patient but Proactive 

There will be a backlog of claims if a natural disaster hits your area. It is important to be patient when you are dealing with your insurance adjustors. They are working as quickly as they can to help people who need it. It can be frustrating for everyone involved. Before you start cleaning up, you need to take photos of the damage so that you can show the insurance agency the damage that you sustained. You should also keep copies of all of the receipts for clean up costs or for staying somewhere because you can no longer live in your home.

For more information, contact a professional insurance agency like Holtzman Insurance Agency Inc and ask about tips for filing a claim after a natural disaster.

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