How Video Documentation Can Strengthen Your Insurance Claims

In case of any accidents, robberies, or other disasters, it might be very difficult for you to file a claim if there is no concrete evidence on your part. The first thing that the insurance companies will ask for is proof of ownership and the damage caused by a particular event. Not only will you need to cope with the aftermath of the incident, but you’ll also need to act quickly to file your insurance claim and start the whole process as soon as possible.

While photos may be considered the traditional evidence used in insurance claims, videos have also proven themselves helpful in many cases. By recording a proper video, you may help yourself create the necessary context for the insurance company. Going through the house damaged during the storm, taking a walk around the car involved in an accident, or filming your belongings prior to any incident happening can all help to create a more comprehensive image for the insurer.

Video documentation is also useful before a claim is ever needed. You can document your electronics, furniture, jewelry, appliances, or other pieces of equipment used in the business, and this will serve as proof of ownership and the condition of the items either before or after the disaster. Such videos can greatly speed up the insurance claiming process.

However, it is important to understand that there are various insurance policies which differ according to the documentation that needs to be provided. In addition, video documentation should serve only as supplementary to other evidence like photos, repair estimations, receipts, and official reports. All these documents can streamline the process when backed up by video footage.

In this article, we are going to examine why video documentation is an important part of insurance preparedness and how to document yourself effectively.

Why Video Documentation Matters for Insurance Claims

With the help of digital devices, it is now easier to make visual documents of your belongings and property than ever before. You can do this while preparing for the hurricane season or when you have a burst pipe and need to quickly document the damage before it gets fixed. Businesses and homeowners can use a video editor to create coherent footage using various video sources, trim unneeded parts of the video, or add time and date where necessary.

Though video on its own cannot guarantee a claim, it will help support the claim with some extra details.

Things That Can Be Captured on Video

Video recording works particularly well in capturing things that cannot easily be described with words only, such as:

• The overall condition of a property before an incident.
• Different types of damage caused by a disaster or any kind of accident.
• Commercial inventory, machines, and office premises.
• A video guide capturing your most valuable items (such as gadgets, art pieces, or jewelry).

For example, after experiencing natural disasters, a video tour would display damage to the roof, broken windows, leaks, and broken personal possessions in one video.

Best Practices for Recording Insurance Evidence

Taking helpful videos does not require professional recording equipment. A simple smartphone will work just fine so long as the video footage is clear and stable.

Before an Incident

Some of the wisest actions to take prior to any event are documenting your belongings before anything happens.

Think about taking videos that cover:

• Each room of your home.
• Highly valuable personal belongings.
• Major appliances and electronic items.
• Vehicle condition.
• Business inventory, if applicable.

Talking through the video while displaying dates of purchases, serial numbers, or receipts can also be useful in the future.

After an Incident

It’s important to document the state of your valuable things or home premises right after the accident happened, but before you order cleanup or make some repairs.

Try to:

• Capture wide shots before focusing on close-up damage.
• Record from multiple angles.
• Include timestamps if your device supports them.
• Continue documenting throughout the repair process.

Of course, you should think about your safety first, and making a useful video second. Don’t rush into a damaged area unprepared, and make sure you follow all the necessary emergency guidelines.

Organizing Your Video Records

Taking videos of your possessions (or the situation following an accident) is just part of the process. It’s best to create a video library where you will store all the videos that might be useful for your insurance-related cases.

Try out these tips:

• Save videos in cloud storage with descriptive file names.
• Create folders by year or property.
• Back up important recordings.
• Keep related receipts and documents together with the videos.

Companies could also consider using video inventory of their equipment, stock at the warehouse, or office space in general as part of the overall risk management strategy.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Despite the usefulness of video, here are some of the mistakes that people tend to make when documenting with the help of a camera:

• Recording a shaky video.
• Forgetting to capture the entire affected area.
• Waiting too long to record the incident.
• Using only video and nothing else to document the damages.

Insurance investigators always look at several types of documentation simultaneously, which makes preparing a full set of documentation the best choice.

Conclusion

Video recordings have now been proven to be quite a feasible option for backing up your insurance claims and handling unforeseen situations. Irrespective of whether you are making an inventory of your home contents, recording business assets, or noting down any damage in the aftermath of an event, well-organized videos can go hand-in-hand with your photos, bills, and any reports that you might get from the relevant sources. Through regular practice of organizing such records, you will be in a much better position to handle claims whenever they are required.