Storm Ciaran blew across the West all night from Wednesday to Thursday and is still blowing this Thursday, November 2, with insistence on the coastal departments. Faced with the damage discovered this morning, insurers are often difficult to contact. How to act in the meantime?
After a stormy night, the first instinct is logically to notice any damage to your home or in your neighborhood or town. If a loss is reported, you will obviously have to report it to your insurer. Problem: this morning, the insurers’ telephone services are bombarded with calls. Hence the difficulties in contacting your agency or the remote service for your comprehensive home insurance.
If you can’t get your insurer or a telephone advisor on the phone quickly, what should you do? First of all, don’t panic about reporting a disaster: it must be done quickly but should not be done in the hours following the discovery of the disaster, if you have more urgent matters to do. Contact your insurer without delay by any means (registered letter, telephone, email, etc.)recalls France Assureurs in a Frequently Asked Questions dedicated to storm damageand logically put forward this Thursday, November 2 following the passage of storm Ciaran.
Insurers are extending the claims reporting period beyond the usual deadline until December 1, 2023, i.e. 30 days after the storm passes.
What deadline to declare? Five days normally, 30 days finally for Storm Ciaran. If you are the victim of a claim following this climatic event, have the right reflex: declare your claim online. It’s simple, fast and accessible 24 hours a day. The declaration deadline has been extended to 30 days, GMF announced this morning. An extended deadline which was then confirmed by the France Insurers federation: In view of the exceptional circumstances and in order to best support disaster victims, insurers are extending the claims reporting period beyond the usual deadline until December 1, 2023 , or 30 days after the storm, declared the federation in a press release.
Storm Ciaran: good news, victims have until December 1 to report the disaster
Consider taking photos of the damage before taking backup measures.
Do you need to act on the incident to prevent it from getting worse? For example by carrying out a makeshift repair on a building? Good reflex, it is even encouraged by the insurer and this in no way prevents the costs from being covered: You must take all necessary measures to avoid worsening the damage suffered by your home (covering the damaged roof , sheltering furniture, clearing if necessary, etc.), lists the France Insurers federation. Think take photos of the damage before taking safeguard measures.
If the damage is significant to your home, still insist on calling your insurer’s assistance number. For example, Maaf, GMF and MMA (Cova group) are offering simplified coverage for storm Ciaran for emergency covering of damaged roofs and coverage for the costs of removing plants or rubble from the insured if it is there is an emergency. Other emergency measureproposed this time by Axa: the insurer announced the immediate payment of a advance on compensation of up to 1500 euroswith or without expertise.
Car damaged? Take a photo of the damage, protect your vehicle, then notify your insurer
Even remember if it is your car that has been damaged by the fall of a tree, a branch, an object thrown by the wind from the neighborhood or any street furniture: take a photo of the damage, protect your vehicle, then notify your insurer.
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On the other hand, if you undertake summary repairs yourself or if you call a craftsman to repair as quickly as possible, you absolutely must keep all traces: PicturesSO, invoices purchase of materials, invoices from craftsmen or other professionals intervening in an emergency. And obviously don’t forget, in the days to come: report the loss to your insurer within 30 days.
To receive compensation, do we have to wait for the official declaration of a natural disaster?
No, answers France Insurers on the same frequently asked questions: Your home contract must contain a storm guarantee which covers all damage caused by wind (falling tree, damaged or torn roof, furniture damaged by rain following roof damage , etc.).
It is for damage linked to flooding (overflowing of watercourses, runoff following heavy rain, sewer backup, etc.) that this official declaration of natural disaster will be necessary. Some insurers are not waiting for a ruling in this sense, such as Matmut which states in its message dedicated to storm Ciaran: Thanks to your “Matmut main residence home” contract, you are compensated even in the absence of a natural disaster, for damage resulting from flooding by overflowing watercourses, rising water tables, runoff water.
In all cases, without waiting for a ruling, you, as the insured, must report claims as quickly as possible.