Earthquake Insurance

13 How to File a Claim for Earthquake Damage If you notice damage or just suspect it, report it to your insurance company as soon as possible: 1. You can report claims by telephone. 2. Your insurance company must open a claim when it gets your report of a claim. 3. If your insurance company refuses to open a claim, call the California Department of Insurance immediately. 4. Insist that the company assign a claim adjuster to your case. This person is trained to assess the damage to your property. 5. Set a time as soon as possible for the claim adjuster to come out and inspect the damage. • Show the claim adjuster all the damage you found. • Make sure they inspect the hidden areas of your property such as basements, crawl spaces, slabs, and raised foundations. 6. If you find more damage after the first inspection, report it and ask the claims adjuster to make another inspection. The inspection is important. It can be hard to know exactly how much earthquake damage you have. Some types of damage are hard to find at first. You and the claims inspector need to look long and carefully. Make sure that all the damage you can see is listed in your claim, as well as all the possible hidden damage.