When Should You Call Your Insurance Company To Make An Insurance Claim?

Keep reading to discover everything you need to know about when to contact your insurance company about a claim.

Generally, You Want to Make a Claim as Soon as Possible

In most situations, it’s in your best interest to notify your insurer of the loss as soon as possible.

The sooner you notify your insurer of the loss, the sooner they can begin the claim process, authorize repair and restoration services, and begin the recovery process.

However, there are certain steps you may want to take before filing a claim – including taking steps to mitigate the loss and deciding whether or not it’s worth making a claim.

Step 1) Do What You Can to Mitigate the Loss

First, it’s important to remember you have a responsibility to mitigate the loss on your property damage claim.

If a windstorm tore a hole in your roof, for example, then you may need to put a tarp over your roof to protect your home from further wind and rain damage. Otherwise, your insurer may only cover the initial damage but not any follow-up damage.

Or, if your house is flooded, you should turn off electricity in that area of your house to avoid a short circuit and prevent further damage.

Insurance companies expect you to mitigate losses using the resources available to you – including any emergency repairs or tasks within your control. It’s one of several important policy conditions under your duties after a loss. Each policy contains certain conditions, and failing to abide by these conditions could lead to a denied or reduced claim.

Some of the most important conditions to consider immediately following a loss include:

• Take steps to mitigate the loss. Use any resources available to you to secure your property, if safe to do so, and prevent further damage. You can even spend money to mitigate the loss, and your insurance company should reimburse you for these costs. It’s in everyone’s best interest to take reasonable steps to protect the property.
• Preserve evidence of the loss by keeping any damaged or destroyed items. If you make a claim to your insurance company, your insurance company needs to see the damage that occurred. If you make a claim and have no evidence of the damage, then your insurer could deny or reduce your claim. Don’t dispose of damaged items, and preserve all applicable evidence until your insurer has verified it.
• Contact law enforcement if a criminal act has occurred. If a theft or burglary has occurred, for example, then your insurance contract may require you to contact the police. Call 9-1-1.

Step 2) Decide Whether or Not to File a Claim

Sometimes, it’s not in your best interest to file an insurance claim – even if the loss is covered by insurance.

The cost of repairing damage out-of-pocket may be less than your insurance deductible. In other cases, making a second claim in a short period could increase premiums significantly.

First, appraise the situation. Visually assess damage. Document everything using your phone, taking as many photos and videos as possible. For an average-sized house (2,000 square feet), take at least 150 to 200 photos. The more photos you have, the better. Even if you don’t make a claim, it’s important to have visual proof of damage.

Next, establish an inventory of items that were lost, damaged, destroyed, or stolen. Take notes on how, where, and why the damage occurred.

Next, consider the cost of filing a claim. Check your policy’s deductible, for example. Consider how much it would cost to repair or replace your damaged or stolen property. If a small house fire in the kitchen only caused $1,500 of damage to your stove and your deductible is $2,500, for example, then you may not want to make a claim.
For help assessing damage, contact a contractor or public adjuster. Public insurance adjusters and contractors often provide free assessments, helping to decide whether or not it’s worth filing a claim.

Note: In cases where you have a large claim estimated at $100,000 or more it is highly recommended to contact a Public Adjuster first. The insurance company typically assigns its best adjusters to high-value claims, and these adjusters may overwhelm and confuse you in the hopes of negotiating a smaller payout. By hiring a public adjuster first, you get an adjuster on your side – not your insurer’s side. Hiring a public adjuster also shows the insurer you mean business and can increase your chances of a high payout.

Find a Public Adjuster

Finally, consider the number of claims you’ve made in the last 5 or 7 years. If you have previously made a claim on your homeowners, business owners, or commercial property insurance policy in the past 5 to 7 years, for example, then making a second claim could make it expensive or difficult to renew your policy. The insurer sees you as a higher risk. You may want to research how filing an insurance claim can affect your rates.

Of course, if it’s a serious incident involving more than $10,000 in damages, then it’s almost always in your best interest to make a claim – regardless of the cost of your deductible or the number of previous claims you’ve made.

Step 3a) Contact Your Insurer Immediately

When should you call your insurance company to make a claim? Call your insurer immediately after you’ve decided to make a claim.

Remember your phone call is likely being recorded. Plus, remember insurers are not charity organizations: they’re for-profit businesses who want to limit payout as much as possible. They can and likely will use every piece of evidence – including every word you say – to reduce your claim as much as possible. Only state things you are 100% certain about, and don’t state any assumptions. It is ok to answer questions with “I am not sure, I will get back to you on this”.

The sooner you contact your insurer, the sooner the insurer can send an adjuster to your location and assess the damage. After the adjuster arrives on-scene, the adjuster may authorize emergency repairs or restoration. The sooner repairs start, the sooner your home or business is back to pre-loss condition.

Be aware: insurance contracts contain proof of loss conditions that list the specific timeframe during which you must notify the insurance company of a claim after a loss. In many cases, you must submit proof of loss forms and documentation within a specific timeframe. Otherwise, your insurance claim may be denied.

Step 3b) Consider Contacting a Public Adjuster

Is your insurer pushing back against your claim? Is your insurer dragging its feet, denying certain coverage, or denying your claim completely?

In this case, you should consider contacting a public adjuster. A public adjuster is an insurance professional dedicated to representing and guiding policyholders through the claims process. The adjuster assesses losses and damages, communicates with the insurer on your behalf, negotiates with the insurer to obtain the highest possible settlement, and ensures you use every bit of coverage you have under your policy. They also stick with you throughout the claims process, managing it from start to finish to ensure you use your policy effectively.

Some hire a public adjuster from the outset of a claim – even before contacting their insurance company. Others hire a public adjuster midway through a claim – say, after the insurance company has presented a low offer or demonstrated signs of bad faith insurance tactics.

Conclusion: Contact Your Insurance Company or a Public Adjuster ASAP

Generally, you want to contact your insurance company as soon as possible after damage has occurred.

The longer you delay, the more likely there are to be complications with your claim.

All major insurers have 24/7 claims reporting hotlines. The sooner you report a claim, the sooner the insurance company can advise you on the next steps – and the sooner your property can be restored to pre-loss condition.

Stephanie Corona

Stephanie is a property insurance claim expert with over 20 years of experience working as an insurance adjuster, expert witness, appraiser and umpire. She is passionate about sharing her expertise, knowledge, tips and training to help both property owners and Public Adjusters in their pursuit of effectively managing claims and recovering the claim settlement they deserve after a loss.