Filing Insurance Claims
If you have recently been in an accident or your home was damaged by an
incident covered by your homeowners' policy, you may wish to file a claim with
your insurance company.
But first, evaluate whether you would be able to pay for damages without
suffering financial hardship. If you are able to pay out of pocket, it's
advisable not to file the claim, which may raise your premiums.
Once you've determined you will file a claim, detail the accident or
incident. Take pictures, find witnesses and file immediately. If you were
involved in an automobile accident, the other party's insurance company will
likely call you to get more information. During your conversation, document
what is said and get the insurance agent's name.
When your claim has been approved, an insurance adjuster will come to your
home and objectively assess the damages to decide if the claim estimates are
practical. People often inflate the amount of their bills in order to receive
larger payouts. Part of the insurance adjuster's job is to reduce the amount of
insurance fraud.
In order for your claim to be approved, you must be current on your
insurance premium payments and the incident must fall under the list of covered
circumstances. Luckily, most insurance claims filed due to “acts of God” won’t
be counted against you. But some things aren’t covered. For example, no typical
homeowners' policies cover damages that occur in the event of a flood.
If you choose to file a claim, you may want to shop your insurance to
guarantee you are getting the lowest rates around.
At InsureMe, we connect you to agents on our network, so they can bring
several quotes right to your inbox or voicemail. Contact us and lower your
premiums today.
