If You Suffer a Loss on the Weekend.
For our policyholders whose homes are damaged after business hours, please take steps to protect your property from further damage. Then report the claim using our online form or call us at 800-447-4493 and leave a brief message describing the damage and the best way to contact you. We will respond as soon as we can.
If you need help protecting your home, we have a list of companies who can assist you. You are not required to use the contractors on this list, but we always recommend that you use a licensed contractor.
What to do after a Fire Loss
Safety of people is primary. Preventing further loss to property is secondary.
If the fire is burning, do the following:
- Get everyone out of the house and to a safe place.
- Call 911 to report the fire and any injuries.
After the fire is out:
- Contact us using the online claim form or call us at 800-447-4493 to report your claim. We will assign an adjuster to meet with you and adjust your claim. If you called 911, it is likely that you will also be contacted by a public adjuster. Public adjusters are not attorneys or government employees–they’re freelance adjusters that charge you a fee. They are required to be licensed and follow certain guidelines.
- Check the outside of your home to see if it is safe to enter. Look for loose power lines, broken gas lines, sagging roofs, or other structural items that may be damaged. You may need to shut off power and gas to the house before entering.
- When entering the house, wear protective clothing: long pants and shirt, sturdy shoes, gloves and a hat. Depending on the situation, dust masks, safety glasses and a hard hat may also be advisable.
- Test doors before entering a room. If they bind, it may be because there is extra pressure on the door. Opening it may cause a collapse.
- Look for sagging floors and ceilings. There may be water damage in addition to fire damage. Avoid those areas.
- Take photos of the interior and exterior of your house.
- You may need to make temporary repairs to prevent further damage, such as tarping the roof or boarding up broken windows or doors. You may be able to take those emergency measures yourself or you may need to hire a contractor to do them for you. In either case, keep receipts of those expenses.
- There are different kinds of smoke depending on what burned. Each kind of smoke requires a different cleaning method. You can make matters worse by using the wrong method. This is a time where it is probably best to use a professional restoration company.
What to do after a Water Loss
Safety of people is primary. Preventing further loss to property is secondary.
If the source of water is clean, do the following:
- Shut off the water source. Sinks and toilets have valves. If the leak is elsewhere, you may have to shut off the water main to your home.
- Turn off circuit breakers for the wet areas if safe to do so.
- Remove as much water as possible with brooms, mops, or buckets, etc. Do not use a household vacuum cleaner.
- Move items sensitive to water to a dry area. This could include electronics, valuable documents, or art objects.
- Place a water barrier between furniture and wet carpet: aluminum foil or plastic.
- Contact us using the online claim form or call us at 800-447-4493 to report your claim
If the water is contaminated (sewage or dangerous chemicals):
It is probably best to leave the clean up to experts who will have the proper protective gear. You should:
- Avoid contact with sewage or contaminated items.
- If you must handle contaminated items, use nitrile gloves and wash hands thoroughly after handling.
- Avoid walking through the contaminated area. This could spread the contamination.
- Avoid eating any food or using any hygiene items that may have been contaminated.
- If the loss occurs outside of business hours (as many seem to do), you should contact a “professional water loss restoration company” (you can search that term) to begin the process of drying and cleaning your home.
- Contact us using the online claim form or call us at 800-447-4493 to report your claim
What to do after a Home Burglary Loss
Safety of people is primary. Preventing further loss to property is secondary.
If it is possible that the burglar is still inside your home, do the following:
- Call 911 to report the burglary.
- Wait in a safe place for the police or sheriff to arrive. They usually want to enter your home first.
After it is safe to enter your home,
- Contact us using the online claim form or call us at 800-447-4493 to report your claim
- If you enter before the police, take lots of pictures, but don’t destroy evidence (footprints, fingerprints, etc.).
- Secure your home. You may need to board up broken windows or doors. You may be able to make those emergency repairs yourself. You may need a contractor to do that for you. If keys were taken, you should rekey those locks.
- File a police report. If you called the police, they will take your statement. Some police departments allow you to file a report on line, especially if it seems that the loss is minor. Get the report number.
- If personal or financial information was stolen, consider cancelling credit/debit cards, checking accounts, and notifying credit reporting agencies.
- Make a list of what was stolen. If you previously prepared a home inventory, this task will be much easier. Your insurance policy essentially requires you to prove what you had. Receipts, photos, owner’s manuals, or a written inventory can be used to support your loss list.
- There are many ways a burglary can affect you. Insurance is able to help primarily with the financial effects. However, you may also experience emotional or psychological trauma. You could search the internet for “emotional trauma after burglary” for multiple resources.
