According to The Insurance Information Institute (III), approximately six percent of homeowners insurance policy holders and six percent of auto insurance policy holders file at least one claim each year. Insurance claims are not only an inconvenience to your daily life, but they can also affect your future insurance premiums. Sometimes these claims are an unavoidable part of life, but there are certain steps you can take to minimize your risk of having a claim. Even with the best of precautions, potential claim situations can occur. However, taking the below steps are a few ways you can lessen the risk.
Turn off your water
Water damage claims account for approximately thirty-five percent of homeowners claims, according to The III, and can be very expensive, especially if drying isn’t started immediately and mold starts to grow. When you go on vacation, turn off the water to your home. This is a great preventative measure for everyone and can prevent extensive water damage to your home. If you’re not home and something causes a pipe or your water heater to burst, no one is there to turn off the water and start the drying process.
Get multiple estimates
Whether or not claims are covered depends on the CAUSE of the damage. This is why we always recommend getting multiple estimates before filing a claim and get a professionals advice on what the cause of the damage is. (ex. is your roof damage due to wind or natural aging) Getting multiple estimates is also beneficial because it allows you to compare the estimates to your deductible, so you can decide if the claim is worth filing or not. It’s usually not worth filing a claim if the damages are going to be less than or close to your deductible.
Don’t get distracted
According to Carsurance.net, approximately 9 people are killed every day due to distracted driving and an additional 350,000 people are injured. Staying off of your phone and minimizing your distractions while driving can help reduce your risk of causing a distracted driving incident.
Create a maintenance calendar
Home maintenance is an important part of avoiding claims. Cleaning your gutters can help prevent damage to your roof while cleaning your dryer vents can help prevent house fires. Things like changing air filters and maintaining your crawl space are also important, among other items.
Take care of your trees
Making sure you keep up with removing old/dying trees or limbs that are growing over your home can help prevent them from falling and damaging your home or injuring loved ones. Trees that grow too close to your house can cause foundation issues, so it’s important to remove them before their roots can spread too far.