How to File a Fire or Flood Claim
Last Updated: April 5, 2022 11:43:09 AM PDT
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Learn how to file for insurance reimbursement when department-own property is damaged or destroyed in a fire or flood.
1. Report the fire or flood immediately afterwards.
Notify EH&S Risk Management, (858) 534-2454. Risk Management will:
- Determine if the incident is covered
- Send you a claim form.
The paperwork and evidence you collect in the following steps will eventually be submitted with the claim form.
OR
Call the university's third-party administrator directly at 1-800-416-4029 to report a claim.
2. Record building and property damage.
- Make a list of damaged or destroyed items.
- Take pictures of all damage to the building and property.
3. Determine what's covered by insurance.
- Read Basic Property Insurance to find out which items and costs are covered.
- Note these exclusions:
- Personal property is not covered unless officially loaned to the university.
- Research is not reimbursable.
- Moving costs are not covered.
- Repair or replacement of the source of the damage is not reimbursable.
- The cost of material only — not the time put into it — is covered.
- Keep track of covered costs that are incurred after the fire or flood, including (but not limited to):
- Overtime pay (regular time is not covered)
- Storage fees
- Demolition costs
4. Prove damaged items are University property.
- Collect the following paperwork:
- Original purchase orders
- Inventory listings
- Write a statement describing the effort to locate purchase orders or inventory listings that can't be found.
5. Repair or replace damaged items.
- Repair the item:
- Obtain a repair quote from a vendor.
Note: Contact EH&S Risk Management, (858) 534-2454, before authorizing the repair if repairing will cost more than a new item. - Have the item repaired.
- Obtain a repair quote from a vendor.
- Follow these steps if an item can't be repaired:
- Request a letter from the vendor verifying that the property is too damaged to be repaired.
Note: Only items that can't be repaired will be replaced. - Replace the item with equivalent property. If the replacement is of better quality, the department must pay the difference.
- Request a letter from the vendor verifying that the property is too damaged to be repaired.
- If property is not replaced or repaired, the department will receive the item's actual cash value. Values are determined by Risk Management and adjusted for depreciation.
- Note the following costs:
- Departments are responsible for a deductible of $5,000 per fire or flood. Prorated deductibles apply when several departments are involved.
- For claims worth more than $50,000, the department must pay 10% of costs over $50,000. These expenses can be split with other departments affected by the loss.
6. Submit claim forms by the required deadline.
- Send your claim form and paperwork to Risk Management within 45 days of claim initiation:
- Mail Code: 0925
- Fax: (858) 534-5202
- Contact EH&S Risk Management to request an extension if you can't meet the 45-day deadline.
- Expect claim processing to take a few months because of the following factors:
- Several departments are usually involved; final costs and paperwork from all parties must be submitted to Risk Management before the claim can be processed.
- After review by Risk Management, the claim is sent to the Office of the President – Risk Management for review within 30 days. If approved, funding occurs within 2 months.
- If an outside vendor is responsible, funding could be delayed even longer.
7. Get approval before disposing of damaged property.
- Obtain approval from Risk Management before disposing of damaged items.
- Notify Equipment Management if damaged items qualify as equipment and learn Ways to Dispose of Inventorial Equipment for more information.
For more information, contact EH&S Risk Management, (858) 534-2454.