If you've never filed a loss claim before, you might feel nervous and confused about the whole process. What exactly should you do? And what exactly happens?

Well, let's say a storm comes through your area and damages your home. The first thing you should do is try to mitigate damage. If you have water leaking into your house, cover up the leak (but don't have it repaired yet). Basically you want to do what you can to prevent further damage.

Next you should call your insurance agent. They might submit your claim for you, or they may refer you to another center that deals with loss inspection. After your claim is submitted, a claims adjuster will be assigned to your claim. They will then contact you to set up an appointment to come out and inspect your loss.

Once they inspect your loss, they may settle the claim then and there. However, if the damage is very extensive, they may need to do a little more research into prices and/or the best course of action. Once the proper course of action has been decided, the claims adjuster will go over everything with you so that you understand what can be done.

There are some important things you can do to make the claim go smoothly.

1. When the claims adjuster first contacts you, make sure you get THEIR contact information so you can reach them easily.

2. Write down the date and time of the storm, and other such details.

3. Take good photos of damage, and keep receipts for anything you have done to mitigate damage.