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Tips For Filing A Homeowner's Insurance Claim

16 July 2019

Sherri Ramos

If you ever encounter a time where your home or belongings are damaged or stolen, you might be able to file a homeowner's insurance claim to receive compensation. When you have home insurance, your insurance company protects you against a lot of different types of perils, and you have the ability to use this coverage if you ever need it. If you think you need to file a claim, here are some tips to help you do this. 

Take immediate action if needed

When your home is vandalized or damaged in some way, there are many times when it is important to take immediate action with the problem. For example, if the problem is a plumbing leak, you should immediately turn off the water. If the problem is a tree that has fallen, you may want to move your cars out of the way to prevent the tree from landing on them. If your house was vandalized, you may want to call the police right away. Make sure you do whatever is necessary like this before you proceed.

Make sure you really need to file a claim

Secondly, you should analyze the problem to see if you really need to file a claim and knowing your deductible amount will come in handy with this. If you have a high deductible, it might not make sense to file a claim if there is not a lot of damage in your house. If you have a great deal of damage, though, filing a claim might be a good option.

Contact the insurance company right away

Next, you will need to call your insurance company to report the incident. You should not wait long to do this, as it is important to document the problem as quickly as possible. In some cases, you can even report a claim online; however, it is often better to speak to someone about it rather than file the claim online.

Follow through with the agent's advice and instructions

Finally, you will need to do what the agent tells you to do. This might involve calling around to get quotes or meeting with the insurance adjuster to write up a quote for damages. In any case, you should follow all the instructions the agent gives you to ensure that the claim is settled smoothly and in a timely manner.

Filing a claim on your homeowner's insurance policy is probably something you will rarely have to do, but there is a chance you might need to at some point. To learn more about homeowner's insurance coverage, contact an agency today.

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