Something happened. Here is what to do.
If anyone is hurt or in danger, call emergency services first. Everything on this page can wait; that cannot.
First 24 hours
Document it before you clean it up.
Call us at (555) 010-0142 as soon as you reasonably can. We would rather hear it from you before the carrier does.
Most policies require you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage — tarping a roof, shutting off water, boarding a window. Do that, and keep every receipt. Those costs are usually recoverable. What is not recoverable is evidence you threw away.
- Photograph and video everything before moving or discarding anything, including wide shots that establish where the damage sits
- Write down what happened while it is fresh: time, weather, who was present, what you saw first
- Collect names, phone numbers, insurer and policy numbers for anyone else involved
- Get the police or fire report number if one was filed
- Keep receipts for temporary repairs, lodging and anything you had to replace immediately
- Do not agree to a repair scope or sign a contractor’s assignment of benefits before speaking with us
Filing is not always in your interest, particularly on a small loss that sits near your deductible. Call us first and we will run the arithmetic with you before anything is reported.
Have this ready
What we will ask you for.
Your policy number
On your declarations page or your ID card. If you cannot find it, your name and address are enough for us to pull the file.
Date, time and place
As precisely as you can manage. For weather losses, the date matters more than people expect.
A plain description
What happened, in your own words. Do not speculate about cause or fault — describe what you observed.
Photographs
Everything you took, including the ones that seem redundant. Email them rather than texting, so nothing is compressed away.
No obligation
Find out what you are actually paying for.
Send us your current declarations page and we will read it back to you in plain English — what is covered, what is not, and where the number could move. If your existing policy is the better deal, we will tell you that too.