Read any newspaper or watch any television news broadcast and you'll learn about floods, fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, lightning storms and burglaries that are occurring on any given day.
We have had to file a few claims and found it to be an extremely easy process. Most companies have 24-hour telephone service. Even easier (we prefer talking to our agent so he knows what's happening), we called our agent, he gave us the number to call to get a claim number and within minutes we were talking to our adjuster.
The difficult part comes later, when you're asked to list the items that were damaged or destroyed. Often people are shocked when they are asked to provide this information, stating that they thought they would get a check in the mail for the total amount of their insurance coverage. This isn't feasible because the insurance company doesn't know the real value of your loss until you provide the list of items to them. How would they know how much they owed you if you just had a few rooms destroyed? Was the room full of electronics and expensive furniture, or was it a dining room with just a table and chairs?
What makes it so difficult for you when you being to complete the claim form, is trying to remember what you owned. Consider you'll need to list each item, room-by-room, or you won't receive the funds to replace them. This is why so often you'll hear that after a disaster, someone didn't recover very well. If you state that you had 100 CDs, but actually had 200, you just lost around $1200 just because you didn't know what you owned. Take that a step further to how many DVDs, pairs of shoes, items of clothing, etc., that you might underestimate.
Another difficult task is to provide proof of ownership. This is often required for high-end electronics, for example. Do you have a 52" television or a 27"? If it's the 52", you will most likely need to prove it. The same goes for power tools. Were they top of the line, or a generic brand from a discount store? How about a surround system? What type of appliances did you own? There are many price ranges and the insurance company will most likely ask for proof if you're claiming the more expensive brands and models.
Insurance adjusters have the responsibility to pay for what was covered under your policy, helping you get back to where you were. They need to verify there is no fraud involved, and an inventory completed prior to a disaster is a great tool for this. The photos provide proof, while the written report gives the details, including the serial numbers and model numbers so important to help prove ownership if the police recover your stolen items.
Create your personal property inventory for your home and/or business. Then, when the time comes for you to file your claim, you'll be prepared and able to provide the proof to ensure a maximized claim.
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