When a claim happens, time and a level head are the two things in short supply – this list stands in for both: it turns the first hours' tasks into a tickable sequence. It's worth keeping a printed copy wherever the work happens. The background is covered in the first steps article and the documentation article.
- The sequence: safety → recording → gathering → notification – and throughout: no admissions, no promises.
- The goal isn't a perfect file, it's the complete picture: more photos rather than fewer.
Immediately (in the first hour)
☐ If needed: eliminate the hazard, mitigate the loss (shutting off a valve, cutting power, covering something up) – with photos before and after the intervention.
☐ Photos and video of everything before anything is moved: the damage, its surroundings, the context (where it came from, what was behind it).
☐ Write down the timings: when it happened, when it was noticed, who reported it and when.
☐ Names and contact details of everyone present, including witnesses.
☐ DO NOT: admit liability, promise payment, or speculate on-site – empathy is free, statements are not.
During the day
☐ Record the injured party's claim in writing: who is claiming what, on what basis (if a letter or email arrived, set it aside).
☐ Put your own work documents in one folder: contract/order, work log, handover record, invoices, measurement records.
☐ Dig out the related photo history: the starting condition, pre-covering photos, handover photos.
☐ Preserve physical evidence: don't throw away the faulty part or the replaced component until the case is closed.
Notification (ideally within 24–48 hours)
☐ Report the claim on the insurer's claims line or online portal – the contact details are on the policy and the insurer's website.
☐ Attach to the notification: the content of the claim plus your own documents.
☐ Write down the case number and the contact person.
☐ Let the injured party know: the case has been reported, and they'll be contacted as part of claims handling. (notification process)
While the case is open
☐ Keep all correspondence in one folder (emails, demand letters, letters from the insurer).
☐ Respond to any request for missing documents quickly and in one go. (smart handling of document requests)
☐ If a settlement is proposed: check with the insurer first, sign afterward. (settlement questions)
☐ If the case gets stuck or disputed: let the broker know. (the broker's role)
This list's prevention-side counterpart is your everyday documentation routine – that's what the loss prevention article covers. If you have questions: free consultation.
Why does a checklist work so well?
In a claim situation, thinking narrows – that's a normal human reaction, and it's exactly why a tickable list beats any amount of good advice: you don't have to remember, just move down the list. It's worth adapting the list to your own reality: print it out, and write your own insurer's claims-line number and your policy number on it – so at claim time, everything is on one page. For teams, the list is doubly useful: whoever happens to be on-site can carry out the first steps – not just the boss. And the list always ends the same way: if the case gets stuck or turns disputed, I try to make sure you don't have to carry it alone – that's what help from the broker is for.
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