A Simple Guide On How To File A Home Insurance Claim In Nigeria
With the nature of the Nigerian ecosystem, the government and indeed the Nigerian undisciplined citizens, you cannot but look for ways to insure your house. Part of owning a home insurance policy is knowing how to file a home insurance claim.
The focus is not on having a homeowner’s insurance policy but on how to file a home insurance claims. You must know that in as much as we don’t pray for such misfortunes, they are just bound to happen.
Related: The things that are covered by a home insurance policy in Nigeria
Life is not always merciful and nature can be our enemy once in a while. You are to be prepared for such eventualities. I bet that was why you considered getting the insurance in the first place.
The truth is that insurance companies can be frustrating. How they treated you when you wanted to buy the policy is usually different to the way they will talk to you when you want to file a home insurance claim or any other insurance claims for that matter.
You should know everything about how to file a home insurance claim so as to save yourself the stress and headache involved in the process.
Related: A simple guide on how to file a car insurance claim in Nigeria
It won’t make sense that you are ruing the loss or damage to your property and someone will be adding salt to the injury.
Your home insurance ideally should cover the following
- Your house, furniture, and personal belongings
- Your liability to others
- Additional living expenses you may incur if your home is severely damaged
Questions You Need To Answer Before You Have A Claim
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Did you ensure your home for at least 80 percent of its replacement value?
The essence of knowing this is that if your coverage is less than that, you will not be fully reimbursed for any partial damage.
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Did you insure your belongings for actual cash value (replacement cost of an item minus depreciation) or replacement cost (the amount it would take to replace the item at current prices)?
Discuss with your agent on whether buying replacement cost coverage is worth the extra premium. The reason is that most insurance policies provide compensation on an actual cash value rather than replacement cost basis.
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What liability coverages are provided for in your homeowners’ policy?
You are to inquire from your agent the liability coverages included in your policy. The answers you get will help you determine what to file for when you want to file a home insurance claims.
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What amount of medical payments coverage is included in your homeowner’s policy?
This type of coverage pays for medical expenses of a guest injured in your home, regardless of fault. A medical payment claim begins, as do others, with a call to your insurance representative.
How to File A Home Insurance Claim
When you have a claim to file, you will need to follow these tips and you will save yourself some undue stress.
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Report any damages to the police
If there is an incident in your home that is insured that leads to damages, the first you will do is to report the incident to the police. When you want to file a home insurance claims, you will need present police reports to your insurers.
2. Call your agent or the company immediately after the incident
As soon as the incident has occurred, you will need to place a call to your insurance agent or your company representative to inform them of what has happened.
The essence is to know if you are insured to the degree of the misfortune. You will, therefore, need to ask them questions on that. They will guide you on what to do.
3. Put the incident in writing
After calling your agent and ascertained that you can file a home insurance claims, you will need to put the incident in writing. The agent will request of that of you.
4. Prevent your property from further damage
The next thing you will while you file a home insurance claims is to make some repairs. The repairs will be temporary, to say the least.
The essence of these repairs is to prevent the property from further damages. Keep the receipts of whatever you spent on the building so that they will reimburse you.
5. Make a list of damaged articles.
Ensure you list out all that is damaged in the house. If you incur any other additional expenses due to severe damages that you had to look for other accommodation, keep the receipts for reimbursement.
6. Work with insurance representative assigned to handle your claim
The insurance company will always provide you with an agent that will handle your claims. You will need to work with the person for smooth transition and payment. Provide the person with the necessary information.
