How to notify the insurer of storm damage

Created: 05/19/2022, 02:38 p.m

Better to document well: damage to belongings should be recorded in detail for insurers.

© Alexander Prautzsch/dpa-tmn

For parts of the Federal Republic, the highest storm warning level has been declared for Friday.

If the property is damaged, the insurer must be informed as soon as possible.

And only then clean up.

Berlin - Storm damage to houses is usually covered by insurance.

Homeowners insurance covers damage to the house, such as a covered roof, a destroyed chimney or similar damage to outbuildings.

The household contents insurance is responsible for setting it up.

The General Association of the German Insurance Industry (GDV) points this out.

But how exactly do you proceed when the damage has occurred?

Then it is important to act quickly.

Because damage must be reported to the insurance company immediately.

The insurer tells those affected whether they can contact a craftsman directly or whether the insurance company will first send an appraiser.

Until then, insured persons should refrain from any clean-up work that could make it difficult to determine the damage.

Also rubbish should not be thrown away until the insurance company agrees.

The damage should also be documented in as much detail as possible with photos or videos.

The GDV also advises collecting purchase receipts.

These documents usually make it easier to settle claims.

The obligation to mitigate damages urges the insured to take action

Attention: Insured persons must also keep the damage as low as possible.

That means: Waiting for a reaction from the insurance company should not result in any consequential damage, according to the GDV.

Therefore, those affected must take direct action to a certain extent: for example, to temporarily close broken windows so that no rainwater penetrates the house and ruins furniture.

Branches, roof tiles and the like should also be cleared away.

This is referred to as the duty to mitigate damages.

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Prerequisite for the performance of the insurance: It must have been a storm event - for this you need at least wind force eight.

This corresponds to a wind speed of 62 kilometers per hour.

The consumer center NRW refers to insurance conditions, according to which an official storm warning or damage to other houses in the neighborhood is sufficient as proof.

Insurance cover is often not sufficient for damage caused by heavy rain.

This usually requires an extension of the insurance cover to include natural hazards.

As a supplement to the household contents or residential building policy, what is known as elementary damage insurance is taken out.

dpa