How To File for A Break in and Theft Insurance Claim

Break in and thefts are difficult to deal with. Apart from the physical loss that takes place, the emotional toll of losing valuables makes it even more difficult. People feel violated, angry, fearful of the consequences and are often overcome by guilt of not taking enough care to protect the valuables in the first place. And this is just the emotional aftermath of the burglary which is followed by the tension of making repairs, changing locks and passwords, filing for missing reports and insurance claims. In this article we will understand how to file for an insurance claim if you have experienced theft or burglary.

Understand your policy coverage

Filing for an insurance claim begins with the understanding of the coverage of your policy. You can look for the following heads in your insurance policy

1. Dwelling coverage:This head covers the structure of the home not its content or the piece of land where it stands. If there has been damage to your fixtures or permanently attached appliances then under this head you can claim your damages. You can also rebuild your home with this claim amount.
2. Personal Property coverage:This includes the stuff you own- furniture, electronics and clothing. This coverage can help to repair or replace the items during a theft or any other loss for instance loss due to fire.
3. Other Structures Coverage: Under this head, you can get paid for damage to external structures of your property such as a shed door or a garage door during a break in.

The amount that you can claim for a break in damage will depend on the policy limits. You can reach out to ProFloridian Public Adjusters Fort Lauderdale Office to understand how best you can claim your amount. For most of the policies, the coverage limit for personal property is set at 70% of the policy amount. In case you have extremely valuable possessions in your person such as an expensive piece of jewellery or art, then you can ‘schedule’ them which pays you the price of the item with or without any extra deductible depending on your carrier.

How to proceed with making a theft claim?

Preparing a claim can be an arduous task especially if you also have to worry about restoring your property in its original condition. In such a case you can consult Public Adjusters in Fort Lauderdale and get a rough estimate of your hurricane claim as well as real time guidance on how to go about filing for one. Here we cover some of the basic steps:

1. Get the police report: Keep a copy of the police report which is essential for filing a claim.
2. Get the emergency repairs done: Most repairs such as replacing the locks, broken window can be done and ensure that you have their receipts handy as the policy will reimburse them
3. Ensure that you have documented the theft scene and damage done to your property: This can be done as simply as taking a photograph or a video of the scene. If possible make an estimate of the damage done as well as the make and model of the items stolen
4. Prepare the documents and file the claim: Documents such as your bank statements, credit card statements, photographs, receipts and warranties should be kept handy as the insurer may ask you for the same.

An ideal step would be to make an inventory of the items you possess within your property beforehand so that you don’t have to jog your memory in an already tense situation. These tips will help you make the best of the situation at hand and ensure that your claim filing experience is hassle free.