Fire Claims Process

The fire claim process is considered to be the time that the policyholder notifies the fire to his insurer until the claim process ends and ends with a settlement for the policyholder. To get to the end point there are several steps involved.

Check your policy

At all times you should know where to look and find your insurance policy. It must be in a fireproof safe or a safe deposit box rented from the bank. When there is a fire you should take out your insurance policy and review it to determine what type of coverage you have and how much it is, what it covers and what it excludes. This information will help you know how to file your claim and if there are any deadlines for filing your claim. Most of the information you’ll need can usually be found on the declaration page. This is usually found at the beginning of your insurance policy. If, for some reason or another, you can’t find your insurance policy or don’t understand what is covered and how to file a claim, contact your insurance company.

Contact your insurance company

As soon as you review your policy, or even earlier if you wish, you should contact your insurance company to notify them of the fire and what type of loss you have suffered. Some insurance companies may require you to contact them as soon as the loss occurs, while others may give you a couple of days. This information will also be on your insurance policy. With some insurance policies, there are often provisions that will provide you with money for temporary housing if your home was destroyed by fire, which is another reason why you should contact them as soon as possible. You may need to send written notice instead of calling.

Information the insurance company needs

When you contact your insurance company, they will tell you what you need to submit to start the fire claims process. Usually this will be a statement from you saying what happened and what the damage is. If they need more information or documentation, it is your responsibility to provide it whenever what they request is reasonable. Make sure you are thorough in all your documentation because you will not receive funds for anything that is not documented.

Payment process

How you will be paid for your loss will depend on the type of fire claims you have filed and what the loss was. If it’s a small loss, the insurance company may simply write a check, but if it’s repairs or rebuilding, they may disburse the payments to the person doing the work.