What to do in the Event of a Claim

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1. Property
2. Automobile


1. Property:

If your house or building has been damaged, first and foremost, protect it from further damage by boarding it up, covering it, etc. Call us during business hours, but use your best judgement in the meantime.

If you start the clean up yourself, keep track of the time you spend. You are entitled to be paid for the work you have done. If you have a specific contractor whom you want to repair the damage, go ahead and call that person. The contractor may be able to make temporary repairs right away. The building or house will have to be repaired whether it is covered or not, so there is nothing to gain by waiting on the insurance company to send a contractor. The insurance company will probably want to inspect the damage of course, but they can do this before the contractor completes the work.

You might want to take pictures of the damage. You, of course, are not obligated to do so however, it could speed up the claim process later.

If you have personal property damaged by vandalism or weather, etc., it's also ok to take it to a repair shop. If the property is not repairable, your adjustor may want to know the age and cost of the damaged items. If you can locate original receipts, it will help expedite the process later. If you cannot locate these receipts or do not have them, obtain estimates or prices from a sales catalog to confirm current prices.

Eventually, you will need to supply the adjustor with a list of all damaged or destroyed property, along with its age and cost. The sooner that you get started making your list, the better.

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2. Automobile:

First and foremost, do not worry, we are here to help. Our companies provide top quality claim service to get you back on the road as soon as possible. After your accident, call us during normal business hours to report your claim, in the meantime, here are some things that you should know.

If you were not at fault in this accident, you have a couple of choices. First, you can file a claim against the company of the driver who was at fault. Or, if you have collision coverage on your car, your company can repair it for you and then get the money later from the other company (called subrogation). If you choose to have us pay to repair your car, you will have to pay the deductible first, usually your company will reimburse you for that too. In most cases, you do not have to go to a certain repair shop to get your car fixed or for an estimate. If you have a favorite shop, take your car there to get an estimate. In most cases, the adjustor will agree on a price with the body shop of your choice.

Do not ever discuss the accident with the other party at all. If they call you after the accident, refer them to us; that is why we are here. Most importantly, do not admit fault.

If you need a rental car while your car is being repaired, there are plenty of rental car companies in the yellow pages that specialize in insurance replacements. Make sure you tell them your car is being repaired, often you can get a lower rate. If you carry rental/transportation coverage, we will pay the bill up to the limit on your policy. If the other party was at fault, his company should pay the rental expense. You will have mainly the same coverages on the rental as you do on your own car, but, we always recommend taking the rental company's collision damage waiver to help fill the gaps of coverage that may exist between your policy and the rental car's policy.

Finally, if you or anyone else involved in the accident were injured, seek whatever medical attention is necessary. There is no reason to wait for approval from either your or their company.

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