Storm Claims Information
What to do in the event of a severe loss
First things first, get yourself to a safe place. Remember things can be replaced, people can’t. Call 911 to report a fire, tornado or any other true emergency.
After the loss, contact your local agent’s claims department to report the claim and we’ll have an adjuster contact you as quickly as possible. Normal response time is 1-2 business days but if there is a large storm or tornado in your area and many people in your community are affected the response time may be extended to 2-4 business days. The adjusters will attempt to contact those with catastrophic losses first and all others in the order in which they were received.
Call the contractor of your choice to come out and secure the property. You will not jeopardize any coverage by doing this. You will also find many of our companies have after hours reporting services. You don’t have to wait for the adjuster to secure your property and prevent further damage. To the contrary, you have an obligation to prevent additional damages.
You will likely be asked to get an estimate for the repairs and clean up or board up services. Turn all of these over to your adjuster for review as quickly as possible.
Beware of the traveling contractor that has followed a storm into the area and offers to do work for you. Many times they will tell you they are down the street from you doing work for a neighbor of yours. Maybe they are but in many cases they are saying this to get you to feel a false sense of confidence in hiring them.
Our agency does not have preferred providers so we cannot guarantee the work of any contractor. You have the right to choose your own contractors during this process so be sure to hire a licensed, bonded and insured contractor that has a good reputation in your community.
We know that having a claim can be very stressful for our clients and that you will have a lot of things to do to get your property back to its pre-claim status. Our goal is to make this process easier for you. If you don’t feel that you are getting the best service please contact us to let us know your concerns.
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