Business owners take risks with their capital and people, and insurance is one way to help ensure that when bad things happen beyond their control, they don’t lose everything, especially when it comes to natural and man-made disasters. If an unwanted incident happens, how do you file a disaster claim?
The first 24 hours after a disaster are important. What you do during this period can help you document the damage, preserve important evidence, understand your coverage, and start the claims process properly.
Here are the key steps every business owner should take after a natural or man-made disaster.
Prioritize Safety Before Assessing the Damage
No matter what happens, ensuring the safety of your family, friends, and staff should be your paramount concern. Damaged equipment and property can be fixed or replaced, and lost profits can be recovered, but human and animal lives cannot.
On the practical side, they will also be essential to rebuilding your business. Every member of your team who lives through the disaster is another mind and pair of hands to help your business get back on track.
Also, do not return to the disaster site after the event unless the relevant authorities have deemed it safe and you have completed a thorough safety inspection with the help of specialists. The damage is not going anywhere just yet, so take your time when dealing with the wreckage of your business.
Review Your Coverage and Claim Requirements
This is something you should have done before the event. But if you have a copy of your policy, it should contain details about the process of filing claims after a disaster. If you are able, look it up or give your agent a call to ask what needs to be done.
Some of the key details you should note here are the types of evidence you need to prepare for the disaster claim, the extent of your business coverage (did you take out an Acts of God [link to article] provision?), and the deadline for filing.
Document the Damage
With safety in mind, you should gather whatever evidence you can while the damage is still fresh. We all have smartphones, so taking pictures of the damage is a practical way to document what happened. Don’t forget to activate the timestamp feature. Digital images also contain metadata with key information about the file, including when it was created.
Depending on the disaster, the relevant authorities should also send specialists to assess the situation. Getting their statements and a copy of the official report would greatly help with your filing.
Other sources, if available, could also be useful. News coverage or official proclamations of a state of calamity are some of the best evidence you can gather about a disaster in your area that affected your business.
Preserve the Damaged Property
While moving on is understandable and you want to begin recovery as soon as you can, one thing you should do is not remove any of the damage just yet. That may be part or all of your evidence. Removing or moving it might affect your disaster claim.
This is easier to do if the damage to your business is limited to equipment. Unless it poses an immediate risk to people and the structural integrity of your facility, do not move it. You might not even be capable of doing so. Leave it be and take pictures.
If the damage is sitewide, you might want to cordon off your property and post guards to keep scavengers away.
Contact Your Insurance Agent
After making sure everyone is safe, one of the things you should do during the first 24 hours after a disaster is to get in touch with your insurance agent or provider. Especially during localized disasters, or if the incident only affects your business, your agent or provider may not know what happened.
Your agent is also one of the people who can help you file a disaster claim. You might not have read your policy cover to cover, but your agent should know everything about the business insurance they sold you. They are best suited to guide you through your coverage, explain what to do, and help you throughout the disaster claims process.
Reliable Insurance Brokers is here to support you beyond choosing business insurance. Our people are ready 24/7 to provide you with the relevant information and assistance you require throughout the disaster claims process.
Contact Reliable Insurance Brokers for guidance with your insurance needs and claims.
Contact Information for Inquiries and Support
If you have any questions or need assistance with your insurance, feel free to reach out to us:
- Call: +63 2 8631 9285 to 86
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- Email: info@reliable-insurance.ph
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Sources
- Simply Business (2026, February 26), 7 things to do before making a business insurance claim. https://www.simplybusiness.co.uk/knowledge/sme-insurance/what-to-do-before-making-an-insurance-claim/
- FindLaw (2024, May 23), Making an Insurance Claim Checklist https://www.findlaw.com/smallbusiness/liability-and-insurance/making-an-insurance-claim-checklist.html
- US Chamber of Commerce (No Date), How to File an Insurance Claim for Your Business https://www.uschamber.com/co/start/strategy/filing-business-insurance-claims