Handling Auto Claims

If you should be involved in an auto accident involving injuries, call 911and ask for both police and a rescue team to respond. If no injuries have occurred, Greenberg advises calling the police first and then calling either our agency or your insurance company to report the claim. Be sure to exchange information with the other party, including name, address, phone number, insurance company, policy number and insurer claims telephone number. "You can wait until you get home to report it," says Greenberg, "either to us or to your carrier, but as soon as you're prepared to call, please do. We'll be able to process your claim that much sooner."

Chubb
800-252-4670

Encompass
800-588-7400

Fireman’s Fund
800-870-8857

Hartford
800-243-5860

Kemper
888-252-2799

Mercury
800-503-3724

Met Life
800-854-6011

Progressive
800-925-2886—Press 5

Travelers
800-252-4633

732 W. Ogden Ave
Downers Grove, IL 60515

(800) 437-4814 - Toll Free
(630) 960-5450 - Phone
(847) 427-3513 - Fax

Last month we talked about what to do if you experience a property loss due to damage from water or mold. This month we'll address the steps to take if you have a claim caused by fire or smoke damage.

Some of the steps are different - but the emotions that may keep you from thinking and acting clearly are the same. "That's why, as with any type of claim you may have, we want to assure you that we're here to help," says Joyce Greenberg, claims manager at Auto & Home Insurance. "It's our job to smooth the claims process for you, and we hope you'll contact us whenever you have the need.

Fire and smoke can devastate your home and everything in it, but in certain instances, not all damage may be immediately apparent. A flue fire, for example, may go undetected until chimney cleaners preparing your fireplace for the coming winter report damage from a past fire. "As soon as you're aware of a flue fire, call me," says Greenberg. She'll discuss with you the best way to proceed, depending on the amount of damage. "Even if damage is discovered a year later, we can still report it," she says. Then a claim adjuster will determine your coverage and proceed with your claim.

In all other instances of fire or smoke damage, we suggest you contact a restoration specialist who can come to your property and start work quickly. The sooner damage is assessed, the sooner professionals can begin cleaning, treating and restoring your home and the valuable possessions inside it.

"We can bring a lot of items back from fire and smoke damage," says Marcus Smith, owner and president of SERVPRO® of Downers Grove and Oakbrook. Of course, if fire has reduced a piece of furniture to embers, nothing can be done to save it. But if the top of your walnut dining table has been charred, for example, refinishing can usually restore it to excellent condition. If draperies are intact but reeking of smoke, they too, can be restored through dry-cleaning and deodorization.

Smith says electronics exposed to smoke, just as those damaged by water, can often be brought back to functionality as well. But he says it's important such equipment be cleaned thoroughly to remove soot that has found its way inside. "Soot is a corrosive, so even it it appears that your desktop computer or big-screen TV is undamaged, it has to be cleaned out," he cautions. Otherwise, damage can occur over time, even if equipment initially operates without problem.

When your property is damaged by flames, it's critical to have electrical and plumbing systems professionally examined. "During a fire, temperatures can easily reach 1,000 degrees in 15 minutes," says Smith. High temperatures can harm mechanical systems and ignite incidental accelerants, such as propane heaters.

No matter the type or extent of damage caused, Joyce Greenberg is here to help. "Just call me after a loss and I will make sure you understand the claim process and be happy to call a restoration specialist for you."