Top 5 Tips to File Fire Insurance Claim By HDFC ERGO

As fire has become the common threat for people living in India, insurance companies constantly try to cut corners on fire insurance claims in an attempt to save money. However to keep you away from becoming a victim of such a situation all through your life, it is good to familiarize yourself with how to file a fire insurance claim.

Following are few tips that you need to follow when dealing with your home insurance company vis-à-vis fire insurance claim.

1. Ask for an advance against your ultimate fire insurance claim: If you are forced to evacuate your home due to sudden blaze and have lost all your essential things like clothes, toiletries etc. in the fire. Don’t panic! Simply call your insurance company and get assistance immediately. They will help you purchase the essential things right away without having to wait for your insurance coverage. But while purchase the essentials, be sure to not go overboard. Be practical with what you buy, because the insurance company will refuse to pay back you for perky things. Also, this advance will be deducted from the total amount you will receive from the insurance company.

2. Make list of everything you have lost and don’t throw anything: Be sure to make a list of everything you have lost in the fire as soon as possible so that you can easily remember to include everything lost by the time you file your fire insurance claim. Don’t throw anything, even if it is completely damaged because the insurer will want to see these things to include them in the coverage. Also, by keeping damaged things you can easily prove that you really lost the items on your list. If you throw them away, the insurance company may refuse to pay for your losses.

3. File your claim immediately after the incident: Call your insurer soon after the incident took place and also ask them to start the process immediately. During the process, you’ll have to present a “proof of loss claim”. This is the form on which you will include all the items you lost, including their cost. Since dealing with the insurance company is a very difficult process, be sure to keep a track of all the communication and keep a duplicate copy of all the documents and post office receipts.

4. Safeguard your property from further damage: The insurance company will require you to take proper care of your property. Therefore, be sure that you secure your property from further damage. Insurance companies call this "mitigating damage," which simply means reducing the amount of damage. A few ways to mitigate damages include:

• 1. Covering holes in the walls and roof to protect the property
• 2. Moving good and belongings from the risky area that may cause further damage.
• 3. Building a fence to prevent robbery
  
  

 5. Keep track of your living expenses: Your insurance policy includes a clause called, "loss of use," which means that it will only pay the difference cost while you displaced and what it was costing you in your home. For example, if your monthly living expenses are 5000 per month, but now you are having extra expenditures on hotel stays, restaurant meals, laundry expenses, totaling an additional INR 1000, your insurance company will only reimburse you the extra INR 1000 per month.

FIRE AND SPECIAL PERIL INSURANCE FACTS

Know more about fire insurance claim procedures and other such things by HDFC ERGO. It is a leading general insurance company in India and is widely acknowledged for its comprehensive range of insurance policies and easy claim settlement processes.