UCSD Blink: How to File a Fire or Flood Claim

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Blink Home > Safety > How to File a Fire or Flood Claim

How to File a Fire or Flood Claim

Summary: Follow these steps to obtain insurance reimbursement if property owned by your department is damaged or destroyed in a fire or flood.

What to do		How to do it
1	Report the fire or flood as soon as possible.	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. Note: The university's basic property flood insurance pays only for sudden and accidental discharge of water.
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 the items and costs that are 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 that 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. 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. 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 your claim form and paperwork 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 UCSD 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	Wait for 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. Read Ways to Dispose of Equipment for more information.

If you have questions, concerns, or problems, contact EH&S Risk Management, (858) 534-2454.

Notice: When a loss occurs, notify EH&S Risk Management, (858) 534-3820, immediately to promptly initiate the insurance investigation and claim process. Use pager number (858) 583-3302 for emergencies only, or call the university's third-party administrator directly at 1-800-416-4029 to report a claim. Take a picture if a camera is available.