How to File a Home Insurance Claim November 24, 2020 At OKFB Insurance we want to help you prepare for the unexpected. We can try our best to prepare for ice storms, break-ins and try to prevent damages, but we can’t prevent everything. If you’ve never filed a claim or want a refresher on how to file a home insurance claim, see the steps below. 1. Report Damages to Local Authorities If there was a break-in, vandalism or another circumstance where the local authorities need to be notified, then reporting the incident should be the first step. The responding police or fire department will file a report of the incident. Be sure to ask for a copy of it as it can help with the next step: calling your home insurance company. 2. Contact Your Home Insurance Company If the incident is minor and was not reported to the authorities, you may want to review your home insurance policy to make sure it covers the damage you’re about to claim. At OKFB, the quickest way to do this, would be to sign in to your My Insurance Portal to review your policy. If the incident is covered, then calling your agent is the next step in this process. You can also call the new claims hotline at 1-877-632-2524 24/7 to start a new claim. 3. Take Inventory and File a Home Insurance Claim After calling your insurance agent, they will likely send over claims forms that need to be filled out. Remember before cleaning up the damage to take photos and look at your home inventory to see what is missing or broken. It’s important to provide as much detail on the claim form as possible to help expedite the process and ensure there aren’t an abundance of questions being asked later on. Remember to also take note of how long you have to submit a claim; every insurance company is different. 4. Conduct small repairs, if needed If minor repairs are needed immediately to make the home habitable, take photos of the before and after. Additionally, save receipts and work with your agent to submit this documentation for reimbursement or actual cash value. 5. Have Your Phone Ringer On Every claim is different, and some could require more communication. Ensure your agent has up-to-date contact information for your phone number and email address. It could also be helpful to have your phone ringer on, so you don’t miss any calls from the claim representative. We know this process can be stressful and we hope by providing these steps, it’s a little less so. Also, having a home insurance policy you can count on can help make this process easier. Contact your OKFB agent to make sure you have the right amount of protection in place, or for guidance in completing your home inventory checklist.
