A few days after the flooding in Eure-et-Loir and Loir-et-Cher caused by the passage of Storm Kirk, it is time to assess the damage. Victims logically turn to their insurers. Here are some tips for your steps.
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France 3 took stock of the procedure to follow with Lydie Plessis, director of the Alive assurances MMA Bonneval agency in Eure-et-Loir. In this agency, around a hundred disaster declaration files have already been registered, mainly for damage to homes, cellars and vehicles.
- In the event of a disaster, what action should you take as a priority?
Lydie Plessis: You must first make your declaration, even if we cannot yet see all the damage. To make a declaration to your insurance, all means of communication are admissible: on your insured personal space, by email, by telephone, or by going to an agency. We also advise our policyholders to declare themselves as victims at the town hall, because the recognition of the state of natural disaster by the State services depends in part on the number of files registered at the town hall. If you can clean, you must do so, but you must not throw anything away (electronic equipment/household appliances in particular) while waiting for experts mandated by the insurance company to come. We also recommend taking photos and filming videos of the damage.
- When to make a declaration ?
Usually the deadline for the declarant is five days. This is a theoretical period, since it is the period from the moment the loss is noticed. But, at the MMA, we have placed Bonneval and 21 other municipalities in Eure-et-Loir in advance in a state of natural disaster, to allow victims to compile files without waiting for recognition by the public authorities. In the case of natural disasters, the deadline is thirty days. But we advise victims to declare as quickly as possible.
- How long does it take to receive compensation?
It’s still difficult to say. In such circumstances, we call on several expert firms, but obviously, the experts cannot be everywhere in the field, and it will take a few weeks for them to produce their expert opinions. That said, it is not because the experts are in the field quickly that compensation will be faster. Certain files will also depend on the material conditions on site. Sometimes, it will first be necessary to wait for walls, houses and premises to dry before being able to undertake work and proceed with compensation. In any case, we advise those affected to have restoration quotes produced by professionals as quickly as possible, to allow experts to examine them as quickly as possible. We also emphasize to our policyholders that it is important not to throw away damaged or defective equipment. And you must of course put aside the invoices or proof of purchase for everything that was affected.
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