Film insurance claims: What to do when film production stops

Film Production Insurance claims can be settled quickly with a minimum of stress if the right steps are followed.

Front Row Insurance Brokers Inc. provides claims reporting, monitoring, and advocacy services for clients, including preparing and reviewing loss runs and developing claims procedures. We are a liaison between you and your insurance company or a third-party adjuster. The primary goal is to provide you with knowledgeable, empathetic, fast service. In the event of a claim, please contact your account executive.

Our services include designing and implementing claims reporting and handling procedures, monitoring losses to initiate necessary action on a client’s behalf, ensuring timely and equitable settlement of claims, and providing status reports on all monitored claims.

Your account executive will need to know:

1. Date of Loss
2. Description of Loss
3. Location and time of loss
4. Approximate amount of loss
5. Names and phone numbers of persons to be contacted

All incidents should be reported promptly. If you are not sure there is coverage, we can advise you. Most coverages have deductibles which are applied to each claim. Each loss or occurrence is determined to be a separate claim and subject to a separate deductible.

No loss is easy to endure, but there are steps you can take to speed the process of putting your operations back in order.

Whom should I call first if I have a loss?

Depending on the nature of the incident or accident, call the authorities needed to assist you in an emergency: the police, the fire department or the hazardous materials team.

Is it possible to take immediate action to make repairs if further damage to the property is likely?

As long as the claim is covered, the reasonable cost of temporary repairs made to prevent further damage is money well-spent and, therefore, reimbursable, subject to all policy terms and conditions.

Documentation in the form of bills, receipts and photographs should be retained in order to verify damages and repair costs.

What about emergency repairs?

You may hire a contractor of your choice for emergency repairs. For a covered loss, we will discuss costs directly with your contractor and come to an agreement about costs when necessary. Again, all repairs will be made subject to all policy terms and conditions.

Once emergency repairs are made, what should I do next?

Determine if any of your property is salvageable, and if you can continue your operations at this location.

Who is responsible for the settlement of my claim? My agent or broker, the contractor, the insurance adjuster? What is the relationship among all of them?

• Our insurance adjuster is the person with whom you should deal with settling any claim.
  The adjuster will evaluate the loss and, along with your agent or broker, explain coverage to you.
• The adjuster will work with your contractor to agree on what repairs need to be done and the proper costs of these repairs.
• The agent or broker may assist both you and the insurance company in the processing and adjustment of the claim.

After any type of loss:

1. Take immediate steps to protect your property from further damage.
2. Photograph the damage, if possible.
3. Call your insurance agent or broker.
4. Obtain copies of any reports that were filed, such as police reports and fire department reports.
5. Retain any documentation to substantiate the claim.
6. Communicate frequently with the insurance company’s claim adjuster.

Front Row Insurance Brokers Inc. provides claims reporting, monitoring and advocacy services to clients. A claims coordinator is assigned and acts as a liaison between our clients and their insurance company or third party.

Front Row’s goals are:

• Clients feel that their best interests are being served and that their claims are being actively managed.
• Front Row Insurance Brokers’ performance is technically sound and conducted in such a manner as to fulfill a professional role.
• For every first-party claim, the best settlement is obtained in the shortest possible time.
• System and individual file records are maintained at a consistently high standard to ensure that they accurately reflect the current status of individual claims.