What Do You Do When You Have A Claim?

Being involved in a loss is never a fun process and one that we hope you can avoid. However, in the unfortunate case that you do have to report a claim, it is best to be prepared! Here is a quick explanation of the process.

Say you get in a car accident or your house floods and you want to report an insurance claim for it. What do you do? Your first step should be getting an estimate of the damage from a trusted source. This not only gives you an idea of what to expect, but it also helps speed up the entire claims process as well.

After getting an estimate of the damage, you have to decide if it is worth reporting a claim. If the damages are less than your policy's deductible, it is recommended that you do not report the loss as it will only increase your premiums (the more claims you report, the higher your premiums are).

If you bought your policy directly from an insurance company, you can file it yourself through their website or contact a representative directly. If you have an independent insurance agent, they can report the claim on your behalf! All you have to do is call your agency's claim department and tell them about your loss. They will ask you questions like:

• What was damaged?

• When did the loss occur (date, time of day, etc.)?

• How bad are the damages?

• Was anyone injured?

After this discussion, they will provide their professional opinion on whether or not to report the loss. If you proceed with the claims process, they will contact your insurance company and you will be assigned an adjuster for your claim. This adjuster is in charge of guiding you through the process and answer any questions you might have.

The claims process is not enjoyable, but let us make it easier for you! Call us today so that we can have you talk to one of our risk managers and hopefully help you with your next claim!

Let Nottingham Insurance be there for you when life happens. Call us at (609)587-1600 or email us at info@nottins.com.