First of all, if you have insurance with the following companies, you should report
claims directly to them:
Drive Insurance from Progressive - claims # 1-800-888-7764 (be sure to have policy # handy)
Allied Insurance - claims # 1-800-282-9445 (be sure to have policy # handy)
Buying insurance is like locking your doors at night; you do it to protect yourself and your property, and hope it never has to be used. Experiencing a property and casualty loss can be a nerve-racking situation because it means despite all the precautions you’ve taken, “something” has happened.
The first thing you want to take care of in the event of a loss or accident is to make sure people are safe and any injuries are treated by medical personnel. People are more important than property. Once people are out of harm’s way, the best thing you can do is try to safely minimize further loss or damage. For example, if a window has been broken in your home, you want to cover the hole with plywood or plastic to keep Mother Nature outside. This seems like common sense. But, failing to take appropriate action could turn a broken window that is possibly a couple hundred dollars to replace into rain soaked carpets, floors and furniture which could possibly take a few thousand dollars to repair or replace. In the event of an auto accident, always make sure you exchange insurance and personal contact information with the other party involved. If there is more than one thousand dollars damage, you must notify police so a report can be filed.
The first step in the claim process is to “Report the Loss” to your agent or insurance company. Most companies want you to report any claims to us, your agent. There are, however, a few companies that like you to report claims directly to them. (See the list at the top of this page) Reporting the loss in a timely manner is one of your duties as the insured. This helps prevent further loss and gives your insurance company a better chance to investigate and defend you if you are sued. Once you’ve “Reported the Loss” you can expect to be contacted by a claims adjuster within a day or two, although, most companies strive to make the first contact within 12 business hours. In this first phone call, your claims adjuster will take a statement from you and collect any pertinent information. Then the adjuster will contact any other parties involved to do the same. Once the adjustment process or investigation is started, your adjuster will give you instructions for getting your property repaired or replaced. It is important to have reasonable expectations of the claims process. A typical fender bender may take a week and a half to resolve if things are cut and dry. The more complicated the loss, the longer it will take to close the claim. Remember that your insurance company wants to close the claim as quickly as you do, so make sure to cooperate as much as possible to facilitate the process. It is important to understand that insurance companies do not give authority to the agent to make any claims settlement decisions. We can, however, help you get in contact with the adjuster and we can be a resource of information regarding what stage the company is in the process.
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