How to File A Claim

Charles Goodman Group: Trusted Armonk Insurance Broker

When your property is damaged in an accident or disaster, you can file a claim for as much money as your policy insures, but you need to take a few steps to document the loss and provide proof to your insurer. The best way to gather evidence of the damage is by taking pictures as soon as you can. If you’re in a car accident, you could potentially end up in a dispute with the other driver, so you shouldn’t rely on that person’s photos as evidence for your claim. When taking out a policy, talk to an Armonk insurance agent about the ideal way to proceed after an accident, disaster or theft. When it comes to defending your claim in a dispute with another motorist, you will probably need more than just photographic evidence. In this case, you should get the contact details of any witnesses so that they can support your claim.

If you’re a business owner and your place of business is damaged in a storm, fire or other natural disaster covered by your policy, you need to act right away to document the damage and file a claim.

An insurance agent from the Charles Goodman Group of Armonk would be happy to answer any question you have about life insurance or property insurance.

Collect as much evidence as you can, including news reports of the natural disaster to back up your claim. Your insurer will provide you with a list of repair contractors, or you can hire a contractor you find through other channels, if you prefer. The most important point about your contractor is that you choose one that does the best job possible. It may be tempting to keep a larger portion of your claim by hiring the cheapest repair contractor, but you could actually end up getting a smaller payment from your insurer. The contractor you choose negotiates with your insurer on your behalf so that you receive money for all the repairs necessary to return to normal. A bad contractor could miss a few repairs that you won’t notice until it’s too late.

For motorists filing a claim after an accident, a few precautions can prevent being denied a claim or penalized with higher premiums. Immediately after an accident, you must exchange insurance information with the other motorist and call the police to the scene. Your insurer will investigate the accident to determine fault and make a payment to the appropriate party. If it’s unclear who was at fault, your insurer may pursue subrogation to receive reimbursement from the other motorist’s insurer. In this case, you’ll be informed that your driving record and premiums won’t be affected.