Tips To Accelerate Your Home Insurance Claim

If your home is damaged in a disaster, you want your home insurance company to settle your claim as fast as possible. Fast claim settlement requires close cooperation between the homeowners insurance company and the homeowner. Here are some of the things you can do to speed up the process.

Mitigate losses

The first thing is to take measures to prevent further losses. For example, if the roof is damaged, you can spread a tarp over the damaged area to prevent water from getting into the house. You will have a hard time convincing the adjuster to compensate for all your losses if some of them are due to your negligence.

Gather Proof

You will need proof of your claim if you want a fast payout. Proof comes in various ways such as receipts or valuations for lost or damaged items, pictures of damages, and repair estimates from professionals. You don't want the adjuster wondering whether the loss really happened and whether it is as much as you claim.

Act Fast

Insurance companies settle claims on a first-come-first-served basis. Therefore, the sooner you get your claim properly filed, the sooner your carrier will start working on it. This is particularly true if the disaster affected several homes in your area, which means your insurer has multiple claims to settle in the same area.

Be Proactive

You don't have to meet the insurance adjuster in person, but you will boost your chances at a fast claim payout if you do so. A face-to-face meeting with the adjuster will give you the opportunity to answer any questions and provide any clarifications the adjuster might have.

Also, don't just file your claim and wait for your check. Things do happen; even a human error can cause a delay in your claim process. Contact the adjuster to confirm your claim's progress, especially if you suspect a delay.

Don't Exaggerate

Insurance companies don't just settle claims automatically; they must investigate and authenticate claims. The more your claim looks suspicious, the more the adjuster will spend in investigating the facts of the case. Therefore, ensure you submit the facts as they are without exaggeration so as not to raise any eyebrows that might delay things.

Know Your Policy and Insurer

You should scrutinize your policy, if you haven't done so already, so that you understand your insurance carrier's way of doing things. Every insurance company has its own ways of handling claims. You should know the exact forms and information the adjuster will require and the channels to follow (phone or mail) to get your claim settled fast.

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