In the ideal world, relocations wouldn’t be such a hassle. You would be able to magically transport all of your belongings in the blink of an eye. But this isn’t an ideal world we live in. When having to relocate locally or long distance, you have only one option – to hire movers and hope that everything goes according to plan. Now, whether you’ve hired local movers Brooklyn NY or interstate movers to take you across the country, there’s one very important task you must accomplish. And that’s purchasing moving insurance. Should any damage happen to any of your items, the moving insurance would ensure the damage gets reimbursed. Settling moving company insurance claims is never easy nor pleasant, but it’s of utmost importance you learn how to do it. Who knows, you might need to act fast and you won’t have time for some last-minute research.
Only with enough knowledge and composure can you come out as a winner of any process, including the moving one.
A picture is worth a thousand words
And we couldn’t agree more. The first thing you should know is that, on the day of your move, your movers will make a detailed inventory of your belongings. As much as you want to be safe from everything that could possibly go wrong, they also want to take all measures of precaution. It won’t work in their favor if anything unpredictable happens as no one is really keen on spending money unnecessarily. But just because they will make an inventory list doesn’t mean that you should not make one of your one.
In fact, you should even go one step further and photograph all of your belongings. Yes, it might be a hassle taking hundreds of photos of all of your belongings. That’s only an additional reason for you to declutter even before filling out a moving cost estimator. Remember that movers usually charge based on the weight of the cargo. So you are in essence saving money by decluttering.
Especially the ones of the damage – they are the best proof when dealing with moving company insurance claims
As soon as the movers’ truck parks in front of your home, and you start unloading your items, take your camera once again and start taking pics. This time of any damage that has occurred while the items were in your movers’ possession. These pictures along with the ones you took before will be all the proof you’ll need for showing at what moment your items were damaged. It would be pretty hard for your insurer to deny the claim supported by such strong evidence. Don’t you agree?
You don’t need professional photos – just the ones that show the before and after condition of an item.
Get in touch with your movers and ask for an explanation of the process
The moment you notice damage and realize that you are headed for a settlement, you should get in touch with your movers. How difficult and complicated the process of filing moving company insurance claims will be will greatly depend on your movers. If you are dealing with a reasonable and above all else reputable moving company NYC, settling a claim will be a breeze. But you will still have to prove the damaged happened at the right timing, of course. No matter how reputable a company is, you can rest assured they won’t be in any rush to give away money for free.
Sending all the proof you have will greatly help in settling moving company insurance claims
Once you contact your movers, they will usually give you a deadline for sending in all of the necessary paperwork. Now, be extra careful – not abiding by that deadline could equal the cancellation of your policy. Usually, your company will request you to send them:
- Photos
- A written claim form that details the damages
- Quite possibly any receipts for the items that were damaged
It’s really in your best interest to comply with their rules and not try to be rebellious. Such an attitude could result in you losing the settlement. And that means your items will stay as damaged as they are.
This is the time when your hoarding habits could be useful. You might have to dig up some old receipts, which can be complicated.
Decide whether the settlement is something you want to accept
Once you send in all the paperwork that is asked of you, your company will take a few days to come up with a settlement. It’s your right to either accept it or deny it. If the settlement works for you, well, everything is settled. All you have to do is send back a written agreement and be done with it. On the other hand, if you decide that the settlement offered was unsatisfactory, your next step is contacting the DMV.
The final step is always the most difficult one
If you think that the settlement your company offered was too low or that it breached any part of your agreement, you should get in touch with your local DMV. This is also the next step when your insurer is MIA. What you need to do is file a complaint against the moving company and let the professionals take any further measures. We know that fighting legal battles is something no one wants to go through. But that’s better than just ignoring the problem and hoping for a miracle that will never come.
The conclusion
It’s a simple one – when dealing with moving company insurance claims, everything lies on your shoulders. If you play your cards right and act by the book, everything will turn out alright. And we are here to ensure that happens. So, be careful and try to memorize the few steps that led us to a settled claim. You never know when this type of knowledge will come in handy, and it certainly will at some point in your life.
