Report a Claim

If you've experienced loss or damage, let us help you in the recovery process.

After all, that’s why you have insurance. Goldenwest Insurance Services takes care of you every step of the way. We’ve expedited the claim process by putting together contact information for our premier partners so you can know exactly who to talk to and where to go in your time of need.

Claims Process

We want you to be able to use your insurance when you need it, but we also want you to make an informed decision when it comes to reporting a claim. After reporting a claim, you will be contacted by a claims adjuster assigned to your case. They may want to meet you in person, or the entire process can be taken care of over the telephone. You may be required to complete a claim form, also known as a Proof of Loss form, which is a sworn statement to support your claim. Your claims adjuster will determine the extent to which your claim is covered by your insurance policy, explain the coverages provided by your policy, and help guide you through the entire claims process.

Before calling, have the following information ready to help the process go smoother:

• Policy Number
• Date of Loss
• Description of What Happened
• Contact Information

Once a claim is reported, your information will be filed in a third-party database called CLUE - Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange. Insurance groups use CLUE to look at your insurance history and determine rates for insurance policies offered to you.

Before Reporting a Claim

Rushing to report a claim immediately may cost you down the road. Take some time before reporting a claim to ask yourself some questions.

Am I Covered?

Insurance can be tricky. Take some time to review your policy and perhaps speak with your agent. If you report a claim, but you are not insured properly, your claim is still submitted to CLUE; which may cause your premiums to be higher in the future.

In the event of a natural disaster, call a natural disaster cleanup company before submitting a claim. A natural disaster cleanup company can give you a free estimate, and also determine the source of any problems. Finding out the source of damages will help you determine whether or not your policy will cover any damages.

For example, if your home has had water damage you need to determine the source of the water, as that can have a great impact on what your insurance can do. There are many types of insurance that cover different types of water damages such as flooding, storm-related, and sewer backup.

How extensive are my damages?

If possible, try to determine the cost of the physical damage done before reporting the loss/damage to the claims department. If your damages do not exceed your deductible, the amount you are required to pay, then you will most likely want to take care of the damages without reporting a claim.

For example, your teenage driver scrapes up the car and you find out that it will cost $350 to fix, but you have a $500 deductible. If you file a claim, your insurance will not pay out anything for the repair; however, the claim will be added to your history. Likewise, if the damage will cost $510, you will pay $500 and your insurance will pay $10, and the claim will be added to your history.

Goldenwest Insurance Services

We believe insurance shouldn’t be scary. We also believe that insurance should benefit you. That’s why we’ve put together the above information along with striving to provide expert insurance services at our branches. For any insurance needs come into your local branch, or for an immediate quote on home and auto insurance use our Quick Quote tool.

*The information on this page is meant as an educational piece and resource to help in reporting a claim only. This page is not comprehensive in providing everything needed when reporting a claim. Goldenwest Credit Union is not responsible for any damages.