Personal Insurance Blog

You just pulled into your driveway, and you notice that the door has been kicked in.  What do you do?

• DO NOT enter the house.
• CONTACT the police.
• WAIT for the police to arrive; they will need to make sure the burglar is not still in the house.
• When it is safe to enter the house, take a walk around and see if anything is missing. It could take days before you discover all that is missing.
• If you have pets, check on them to make sure they are safe.
• MAKE a list of items that are missing, include an approximate value.  
• MAKE a list of the damage that was done to the home.
• Once you have your list(s) AND a copy of the police report, NOTIFY your agent or the insurance company directly. Use our site to find your carrier: agordon.com/claim
• PROTECT the property from further damage. You must make reasonable and necessary repairs to the door, or door frame or both.
• KEEP an accurate record of the repairs and all costs.
• CHECK with your neighbors, did they see or hear anything.
• A break-in can be very stressful. You feel violated that someone was in your home. How do you feel comfortable in your own home again?

Maybe now is a good time to think of getting a burglar system installed that is monitored at a Central Station.  Not only will it give piece of mind, but most insurance companies will give a discount for a monitored central station alarm.