It’s National Fire Prevention Week, so I just want to remind you about documenting damage as a best practice if you have a claim. Sometimes homeowners call after damage to their home has already been fixed, and then they want to file a claim. It might not be covered unless you have pictures. Usually, in a home claim, you will need to document two main types of damage; structural and personal items. Structural damage is any damage that occurred to the home itself, and damage to personal items refers to any item within the home. Take photos and videos of each individual personal item and area where your home's structure was damaged.
Another important step in documenting your claim process is to write down the time, date, the cause of the damage, and what was damaged in the accident. Keep an extensive list of the personal items and areas of your home that were damaged to accompany your photo and video documentation. Be sure to note any contact you have with your agent or carrier about the claim, write down the name of the person you spoke with, the time and date of the call, and any conversation or activity that relates to your claim. It doesn't hurt to have a written history of exchanges in email form either. Keep any bills, estimates, letters, and any other documents relating to your claim.
Whether it is your home, auto, boat or RV, if you have damage from an accident or other type of negative impact event, take pictures of your damage and the other party’s damage. Customers will often call me after an accident because the other party involved is claiming more damage than initially expected. If you have pictures, we have proof. If there is an accident involving a vehicle, don’t forget to take pictures of the license plate, registration, and even the driver’s license if possible, along with damage of the vehicles. All of that information might be useful. Get information from a witness. Ask them for their contact information so the adjuster could reach out if needed.
Any and all information that relates to the damage or accident is necessary to document will make the claims process run that much smoother.
John Darr
DSI CEO/Owner
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