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Contact your insurance agent, broker or insurance company as soon as you can to report how, when and where the damage occurred. Provide a general description of the damage.
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Prepare a list of damaged or lost items and provide receipts if possible. Consider photographing or videotaping the damage where it occurred for further documentation to support your claim.
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If possible, keep damaged items or portions of those items until the claims adjuster has visited your home. Do not throw away anything you plan to claim without discussing it with your adjuster first.
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Keep receipts for all additional expenses that you may incur such as lodging, repairs or other supplies.
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Make copies of all documents and pictures given to your claims adjuster or insurance company. Besides insurance, there are many questions related to taxes, expenses and determining just how you will recover from a personal financial point of view.
Vital Documents and Whom to Contact About Replacement
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Driver's License
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Department of Motor Vehicles
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Government Issued ID
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Contact the issuing authority
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Insurance policies
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Your insurance agent or company
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Military discharge
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Department of Veterans Affairs, papers
1-800-827-1000 or TDD/TTY 1-800-829-4833
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Passports
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State Department—Passport Services, 202-955-0430 (24 hours)
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Birth, death and marriage certificates
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Bureau of Records in the appropriate state
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Social Security or Medicare cards
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Local Social Security office, 1-800-772-1213 or TDD/TTY 1-800-325-0778
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Credit cards
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The issuing companies as soon as possible
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Mastercard
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Contact issuing financial institution
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VISA
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1-800-VISA911
Contact issuing financial institution
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American Express
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1-800-441-0519
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Discover
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1-800-discover (1-800-347-2683), TDD/TTY 1-800-347-7449
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Titles to deeds
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Records department of the area in which the property is located
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Stocks and bonds
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Issuing company or your broker
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Wills
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Your attorney
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Income tax record
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The IRS center where filed, your accountant or 1-800-829-1040
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Citizenship papers
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Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, 1-800-375-5283
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Mortgage papers
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Lending institution
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