How to File a Sink Hole Claim

As with other natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods or earthquakes, a sink hole can cause extensive damage to your home. Sink holes can cause cracking in your foundation, walls and ceilings as well as render doors and windows inoperable due to structural movement. This type of damage can cause aesthetic loss to your home and possibly a dangerous situation. This article will walk you through some simple steps to better help you prepare a sink hole claim for your insurance company.

Things You'll Need

• Still or video camera
• Drawing of your home and property
• Insurance documents

Instructions

1. Read your insurance policy. Before you file any insurance claim, you should thoroughly understand your home insurance policy. Read through the complete policy and take notes of sections that pertain to sink hole coverage. Also, take note of your policy limits and deductibles for future reference. Make sure that you understand the procedure for filing a claim and what information is required.

2. Document the damage. Use the drawing of your home and property to highlight areas of sink hole activity or damage. Denote any cracks in foundations or walls, depressions in the yard or walkways, and any other changes in your property. Inspect your home and property thoroughly to make sure you haven't missed any damage. You may also want to check the adjoining properties for evidence of sink hole activity in the surrounding area. Take detailed notes of anything you find, including the date when you first noticed it.

3. Take pictures. Using a still camera or video camera, visually document the activity or damage. Take close-up pictures showing as much detail as you can. This visual evidence will help further document the damage to your property. If you have further damage or activity in the future, be sure to document this change and the date it occurred. Make copies of these pictures or viedo to attach to your claim.

4. File a claim. Contact your insurance agent or customer service agent, as directed in your policy. Inform them that you wish to file a claim for sink hole activity in accordance with your homeowners policy. They will ask some preliminary questions about your claim and start the paperwork. At this point, the insurance company will most likely appoint an adjuster to handle your claim. Be sure to write down the name and phone number of the adjuster.

5. Work with your adjuster to complete your claim. The adjuster assigned to your claim will typically contact you within a day or two to further discuss your claim. This person will ask numerous questions regarding the dates of activity and about the type of damage. Keep your notes and documentation in hand while talking with the adjuster. This will help you answer questions quickly and accurately. The adjuster will assign a field inspector to visit your home and make an initial appraisal of the activity.

6. Follow up on the inspection and status of your claim. At this point, various insurance companies will process claims differently. Continue to work with your adjuster to complete the processing of your claim in accordance with the company policies. This process can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months, depending on how the claim is processed and what is found. Make sure that you keep up regular communication with your adjuster so that your claim isn't given a backseat to other claims.

Tips & Warnings

• Document every communication between you and the insurance company for future use.

• Any time the insurance company asks for a recorded statement, be sure to make your own recording in case of discrepancies.

• Check with your local city officials for information regarding other sink holes in your area. This can help boost your claim.

• If the insurance company field inspector denies any sink hole activity, hire your own inspector to get a second opinion.

• If you feel that the sink hole activity is presenting a danger to you or your family, move out while your claim is being processed.

• Don't make any repairs to the damage while processing your claim.

• Be prepared for a fight from your insurance company as sink hole damage is costly to repair.

• Don't allow any non-permitted work to be done to your home or property.

Resources

• USGS website