When Do You Have to Report Property Damage to Your Insurance Company?

Reporting property damage to your insurance company as soon as possible is usually critical to protecting your claim.

Most homeowners insurance policies require policyholders to provide “prompt notice” after a loss. This requirement is typically found in the “Duties After Loss” section of your policy, often under Section I – Conditions.

Prompt notice allows the insurance company to:

• Investigate the cause of the damage

• Inspect the property before repairs are made

• Determine the scope and cost of repairs

Failing to report damage on time can give an insurer grounds to delay, reduce, or deny your claim.

If you do not give the insurance carrier “prompt notice” of the loss your claim could be denied.

Almost all insurance policies contain a requirement that you comply with all the terms and provisions of the policy (i.e., giving prompt notice of the loss) in order to get insurance coverage. If you do not give the insurance carrier “prompt notice” of the loss your claim could be denied because you failed to comply with the policy.

Insurance carriers also claim that when property owners do not give “prompt notice” of a loss the carrier is prejudiced in its ability to investigate the loss.  This means that the carrier does not have an opportunity to see the damage when it is fresh and therefore the carrier cannot properly evaluate the cause of the damage or the necessary repairs. If the delay in reporting the claim is too long then property insurance claims can be denied and your opportunity to collect benefits could be closed.

What Does “Prompt Notice” Mean?

Insurance policies rarely define an exact number of days for “prompt notice.” Instead, it generally means as soon as reasonably possible under the circumstances.

What is considered reasonable depends on:

• The type of damage

• Whether the damage was immediately visible

• Whether the damage worsened over time

• When you first discovered (or should have discovered) the loss

To learn more about Wites & Rogers’s Insurance Claims Team Please Visit Our Insurance Attorney page.

Wites & Rogers represents homeowners and commercial property owners throughout Florida in claims against their insurance companies. If You Need Help With Your Homeowner Insurance Claim, Call Us At 1-866-277-8631 or via email at info@witeslaw.com.

And We Will Meet You At Your Damaged Property!

Marc Wites is uniquely qualified to handle flood claims because he has substantial Federal Court experience while many insurance lawyers do not. Our consultation is FREE. If we don’t win, you don’t pay us. 

Call 866-277-8631 for a Free Consultation.  If you have a damaged property in Florida your call will be transferred directly to Marc Wites if he is available.