What Do I Need to Know?

I Have a Claim. What Do I Need to Know?

Will My Premium Increase if I File a Claim?
Will My Policy Be Cancelled if I File a Claim?
Will I Lose My Discount Due to My Claim?
What Is a Deductible?
Why Do I Need to File a Claim? My Damages Are Probably not More Than My Deductible.
How Will I Know if I'm Being Sued; and What Should I Do?
Do I Need to File a Police Report for Damage or Theft?
What's a Public Adjuster and Do I Need to Hire One?
What if the Facts Change or I Don't Have all the Information Needed to Report a Claim?
What Will I Need to Show Proof of Ownership for Property Stolen From My Home?

What Losses May Be Covered?

Will My Claim Be Covered?
My Home Was Damaged During a Burglary. Is This Damage Covered?
My Home Is Not Safe to Live in Due to the Damage. Will My Insurance Cover the Cost for Temporary Living Arrangements?
My Tree Fell on My Neighbor's House. Are the Damages to My Neighbor's House Covered Under My Policy?
Does My Homeowner's Policy Cover Damage Caused by a Flood?
A Natural Disaster Caused the Damage to My Property. Will My Claim Handled Differently?

What Are My Repair Options?

Will the Workmanship of the Repairs to My Home Be Guaranteed?

Will My Premium Increase if I File a Claim?

If your claim causes you to lose a discount - such as the Allstate Claim Free Discount, then your premium will increase. You may also see an increase due to a claim surcharge, or if you've had one or more property claims. Your agent may be able to give you a better idea of how your claim might affect your premium.

Will My Policy Be Cancelled if I File a Claim?

Under some circumstances, as permitted by state law, we might cancel or non-renew a policy. This may occur, as an example, if the insured has filed multiple claims in a certain time period. Your agent may also be able to give you a better idea of how your claim might affect your status as an Allstate customer.

Will I Lose My Discount Due to My Claim?

Chances are, if you have an Allstate Claim Free discount, you may lose it after filing a qualifying claim. But, some other discounts, such as Allstate Auto and Home Discount, would most likely not be affected by your claim.

What Is a Deductible?

The deductible is the portion of a covered loss you pay before the insurance company becomes responsible for payment under the policy. For example, if the covered claim is $4,500 and your deductible is $500, you pay $500 and Allstate then pays the remainder: $4,000.

Why Do I Need to File a Claim? My Damages Are Probably not More Than My Deductible.

As an Allstate customer, you buy insurance to help protect you in case of a covered loss, so filing a claim could help protect you in case there are covered damages or injuries discovered later. Additionally, if you become involved in litigation because of a covered claim, your Allstate insurance could help you by providing legal counsel. By hesitating to file a claim you may run the risk of jeopardizing your coverage.

How Will I Know if I'm Being Sued; and What Should I Do?

If you receive a legal "Summons" or "Complaint," chances are you're being sued. You should call your Allstate claim representative and immediately forward your paperwork as directed. By hesitating, you may run the risk of jeopardizing your coverage.

Do I Need to File a Police Report for Damage or Theft?

Yes. The policy conditions state you must file a police report for theft.

What's a Public Adjuster and Do I Need to Hire One?

A public adjuster or solicitor may contact you shortly after a loss seeking to assist you in making a claim against Allstate. Public adjusters are independent claim adjusters and are not associated in any way with Allstate. For their services, public adjusters charge you a fee based on the total value of your settlement. These fees may be considerable and are not reimbursable under your Allstate policy. As an Allstate policy holder, you don't need to hire a public insurance adjuster to settle your insurance claim. An Allstate claim representative, experienced in making claim settlements, will tell you what paperwork is necessary to finalize your claim. Of course, the decision is yours to make.

What if the Facts Change or I Don't Have all the Information Needed to Report a Claim?

Remember you are going to be in contact with an Allstate claim representative throughout the claim handling process, so you'll have plenty of opportunity to provide additional information. What's most important is to report your claim as soon as possible even if you don't have all the information. The sooner you report your claim, the sooner we can start processing it. Remember you can contact your claim representative again if you find additional damage you hadn't noticed before.

What Will I Need to Show Proof of Ownership for Property Stolen From My Home?

Yes. Providing any of the following will help support your claim: receipts, owners manuals, warranty cards, appraisals, photographs or original manufacturers boxes.

Will My Claim Be Covered?

We can't answer this question without knowing some key facts: what coverages and limits you purchased, what caused the damage or loss and what property was damaged. Each loss is considered based on the unique facts of that loss. If you're registered with our Customer Care Center, you can familiarize yourself with your coverages by viewing your policy online. Once you refresh your memory about what you purchased, you can read through coverage explanations online, or talk with your claim representative or agent.

My Home Was Damaged During a Burglary. Is This Damage Covered?

Generally, a coverage called Dwelling Protection, would cover this situation. A claim representative will be able to explain to you what is covered under your policy.

My Home Is Not Safe to Live in Due to the Damage. Will My Insurance Cover the Cost for Temporary Living Arrangements?

If your policy has a coverage Additional Living Expenses and a direct physical loss we cover makes your home uninhabitable then your policy must pay for the reasonable increase in living expenses necessary to maintain your normal standard of living. Check your Allstate policy to see if you have coverage for Additional Living Expenses and what your limits are. A claim representative can assist you with these and other questions. Keep your receipts for additional living expenses during this time.

My Tree Fell on My Neighbor's House. Are the Damages to My Neighbor's House Covered Under My Policy?

You and your neighbor both should contact your own insurers to file a claim.

Does My Homeowner's Policy Cover Damage Caused by a Flood?

Your Allstate homeowners policy doesn't cover flood damage. However, if you purchased flood coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program, your damages may be covered.

A Natural Disaster Caused the Damage to My Property. Will My Claim Handled Differently?

If, after a natural disaster, the volume of claims reported at the one time is significant, we're likely to declare the losses a catastrophe. Here, we'll use specialized catastrophe adjusters and depending on the conditions, Allstate will advertise on local radio stations and may place banners around the affected area with specific instructions for getting help with your claim. In most cases, mobile response units will be on hand to offer further help. There is also a phone number, 1-800-54-STORM (1-800-547-8676), set up specifically for our customers during catastrophes. Our Catastrophe Information Site can provide you with additional resources.

Will the Workmanship of the Repairs to My Home Be Guaranteed?

For certain covered losses, Allstate may be able to refer a vendor to you. If you have the repairs completed through a contractor participating in the vendor referral program, the workmanship of the contractor will be guaranteed by the vendor for up to three years from the date the repairs are completed. (The guarantee is subject to specific terms and conditions.)