Residential Insurance Claim

Your insurance company may send you a claim form, known as a “proof of loss” form, to complete.  Proof of loss is a formal statement made by a policy owner to an insurer regarding a loss.  It is intended to provide the insurer with information to determine the extent of its liability.

A claims adjuster, a person professionally trained to assess the damage to your property, may visit your home before you’re asked to complete any forms.  The more information you provide about your loss, the sooner your claim can be settled.  Your adjuster generally will come prepared to do a thorough and complete evaluation of the damage to your home.  If the adjuster is unable to complete a thorough inspection due to time constraints he/she may be forced to “scope the loss.”  This is a brief inspection of the damage with a second visit necessary to complete the inspection.  The “scope of loss” should include the following:

1. Degree of damage
2. Quality of the materials and workmanship
3. Measurements needed to calculate quantities

The scope differs from the finished estimate in two ways:

1. The scope does not necessarily list any prices, although prices can be used to describe quality.
2. The scope does not list the calculated quantities; it  includes just  the raw counts and measurements needed to calculate quantities for the estimate.

Keep a log of all phone calls and correspondence, and make copies of all correspondence you send to, or receive from, your insurance company.

What may be Covered by Your Homeowners Policy

Additional Living Expenses

If your property is not safe for occupancy, keep receipts for all expenses associated with your relocation, such as emergency shelter, clothing, and food.  These extra costs may be covered under the “loss-of-use” portion of your policy.  You will be required to account for any covered expenses, so be sure to keep all of your bills and receipts.  Any advance payments received will be counted toward your final claim settlement.  Additional living expenses include items such as food and housing costs, and telephone or utility installation costs in a temporary residence.  Also, extra transportation costs to and from work or school, relocation and storage expenses, and furniture rental for temporary residence are eligible under additional living expense coverage.  Your insurance company usually advances you money for these extra costs.

Personal Property

Making lists of all damaged items is a good place to start documenting your personal property loss.  Include the brand names and model numbers of appliances and electronic equipment.  If possible, take photographs of the damage.  Don’t forget to list items such as clothing, sports equipment, tools, china, linens, outside furniture, holiday decorations, and hobby materials. 

Put together a set of records – old receipts, bills, and Photo-graphs – to help establish the price and age of everything that was damaged.  If your property was destroyed or you no longer have any records, you will have to work from memory.  Try to picture the contents of every room and then write a description of what was there. 

Try also to remember where and when you bought each piece and about how much you paid.  Video taping your possessions room-by-room before a loss is an excellent way to document damage to your personal property after a loss.  Make sure to keep the video tape at a separate location (such as a safe deposit box), so it is not destroyed.  Do not throw out any damaged items until you have been told to do so by the adjuster.

Dwelling

By identifying the structural damage to your home and other buildings on your premises, like a garage, tool shed, or in-ground swimming-pool, you can begin making a list of everything you would like to show the adjuster when he or she arrives.  This should include cracks in the walls, damage to the floor or ceiling, and missing roofing tiles.  If structural damage is likely, even though you can’t see any signs of it, discuss this with your adjuster.  In some cases the adjuster may recommend hiring a licensed engineer to inspect the property.  Have the electrical system checked as well.  Get written bids from reliable, licensed contractors on the repair work.  The bids should include details of the materials to be used, and the prices should be listed on a line-by-line basis.