Over its nearly one-hundred-year history, State Auto Insurance has grown from a small company into a major insurance provider for customers in 33 states. Despite its size, State Auto strives to provide its customers with excellent service and competitive rates. If you’re a State Auto Insurance customer, it might be helpful to learn how to file a homeowners or car insurance claim. Keep reading to learn what to do if you experience a burglary or car accident and how to file your claim easily.
What Is a Claim?
A claim is a request for compensation filed by an insurance policy holder after an accident, break-in, natural disaster, or other event covered by their plan. When you file a claim, insurance providers go through a verification process to ensure that the report is accurate and that the cost of damages is correct. This may include an inspection from a professional claims adjuster. After verifying the claim, insurance companies will provide funds to finance repairs, medical expenses, or replacements.
How the State Auto Insurance Claim Process Works
State Auto Insurance uses a simple claims process to help you receive compensation in a timely way after unexpected events. These are the basic steps that policyholders can take when filing a claim with State Auto:
Stay Safe and Document Everything
If you’re involved in an accident or experience another event like a burglary or storm, it’s important to remain safe. Take steps to stabilize the situation and contact law enforcement if necessary. Although it might be tempting to try and repair or clean up your property immediately, it’s essential to create some documentation to support your claim. You should record videos or take pictures with your phone.
If you’re in an auto accident, be sure to get contact and insurance information from the other driver and give your statement to law enforcement. It’s also vital to file a report with the police if you’re the victim of burglary or vandalism. Once these initial steps are complete, you can make temporary repairs, although it’s important not to replace your belongings or get serious repairs until an agent inspects the damage.
Contact State Auto
Once the situation is stable and you’re in a safe place, it’s crucial to contact State Auto as soon as possible. State Auto makes the process simple, and you can file your claim online with their claims portal. When you file your claim, you’ll need some important details about your policy, including your name, policy number, start date, date and time of the event, and contact information for witnesses and other people involved.
Once State Auto receives your claim, they’ll assign a qualified agent to your case. At this point, it’s helpful to locate a trusted contractor to make your repairs. If you don’t have anyone in mind, State Auto can help you find one in their extensive network of contractors.
Provide Details
Once an agent receives your claim, they’ll contact you as soon as possible. Keep your phone on and be prepared to answer questions about the incident you’re filing a claim over. When the State Auto agent calls, they’ll ask you to give them as much detail as possible, advise you on your options, and describe the rest of the claims process. Make sure to ask any questions you have while you’re on the phone with your representative.
Undergo an Inspection
As part of the claims process, a certified inspector may come to look at your property. This allows the insurance company to verify your claims and estimate how much repairs might cost. In some cases, the inspection may be unnecessary. If this is the case, you may be able to simply provide photo or video evidence to State Auto for review. In the case of an auto insurance claim, they may work directly with the repair facility working on your car to obtain more information about hidden damage after exterior body panels are removed.
At this point, you can select a contractor to complete your repairs. State Auto can then work with them to finalize the cost of the service and compensate you. If you don’t have a contractor in mind, your representative can help you find a professional to provide mitigation and repair services.
Create an Inventory and Collect Documentation
For State Auto’s agents to compensate you properly, they need to have accurate documentation. It’s important to create a detailed inventory of all the items you lost during the incident. Try to include as much detail as possible, including the original price, age, model, brand, and the estimated value of each item. If you have documentation of your costs such as warranties or receipts, you can collect those too.
If you’re filing a business insurance claim, it’s essential to document any losses of revenue that are a result of the event you experienced. Collect tax statements, sales records, and any other financial documents that demonstrate how much your company earns and how much profit it lost.
Receive Payment
Once the inspection is complete and the claim amount is settled, you will receive your compensation from State Auto. Before this happens, your representative will send an estimate and a detailed description of how the company arrived at that amount. In most cases, State Auto can deposit payments directly into your bank account once they receive your account and routing numbers.
Make Repairs or Pay Your Bills
Once your estimate is approved, State Auto will send an additional copy to the contractor you chose to do your repairs. They have the opportunity to review it and can contact State Auto to resolve any questions or disputes. If all parties are satisfied, the contractor can begin repairs or mitigation work to restore your property.
That’s a quick overview of how to file a claim on your home, business, farm, or car. If you have any further questions about the process, you can contact State Auto Insurance at any time. State Auto insures a range of assets, and the process for each is slightly different. Their representatives can give you the best advice for your unique situation.
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