Dealing with the Insurance Claims Adjustors

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Your insurance company may send you a claim form, known as a "proof of loss" form, to complete. Proof of loss is a formal statement made by a policy owner to an insurer regarding a loss. It is intended to provide the insurer with information to determine the extent of its liability.

A claims adjuster, a person professionally trained to assess the damage to your property, may visit your home before you’re asked to complete any forms. The more information you have about your damaged home and belongings, the sooner your claim will be settled. Your adjuster generally will come prepared to do a thorough and complete evaluation of the damage to your home. If the adjuster is unable to complete a thorough inspection due to time constraints he/she may be forced to "scope the loss." This is a brief inspection of the damage with a second visit necessary to complete the inspection. The "scope of loss" should include the following:

• Degree of damage
• Quality of the materials and workmanship
• Measurements needed to calculate quantities

The scope differs from the finished estimate in two ways:

 - The scope does not necessarily list any prices, although prices can be used to describe quality.
 - The scope does not list the calculated quantities; it includes just the raw counts and measurements needed to calculate quantities for the estimate.
Keep a log of all phone calls and correspondence, and make copies of all correspondence you send to, or receive from, your insurance company.

This section is part of CA Insurance guides, presented here for your convenience.

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