Adverse Weather - 5 Claims tips

There are yet more weather warnings circulating as rain continues to fall on already saturated ground. Some unlucky people are getting flooded for a second or even third time in as many weeks.

We would always encourage our customers to contact us as soon as possible after a loss. However, losses do not always occur during normal office hours!

In the event that you are unable to contact us, we've listed five of our top tips below which we hope will help you in the immediate after of a major loss.

1. Take photos/video of the damage caused - as long as it is safe to do so.
2. Make any running repairs or alterations that may be required to prevent further loss - AS LONG AS IT IS SAFE TO DO SO.
3. Please provide as much information about the damage as possible. Where is the damage? What’s the extent of the damage? What has been lost? etc.
4. Where possible, obtain two estimates for repair which includes a full breakdown of the costs involved. 
5. Act as if you are not insured. Strange advice, but do what you need to do to keep you and your property safe and/or to keep your business running. Take photos of anything you've removed from the premises ie. wet carpet, flooring etc. Keep records of any and all expenditure incurred as a result of the loss so that you can try and claim these back at a later date. In extreme weather events, you can't always be expected to wait for the Loss Adjuster to advise you!

Report your claim to your broker or insurer as soon as possible. If the loss occurs on a public holiday, weekend or generally out of normal office hours, please consult your policy wording for an emergency contact number. 
If you still can't track the contact number down, most Insurers will list an emergency claims contact number on their website.  

We obviously hope that you will never have to follow these tips, but should you suffer a major loss, we hope that they are of some assistance to you!