Natural disaster claims - car and home

Q. How do I lodge a home or car insurance claim?
A. You can call our emergency claim service on 13 24 23, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For home insurance you can also report a claim immediately online

Q. What information do I need when I call to lodge a claim?
A. Wherever possible, you should have your CommInsure home or car insurance policy number with you, as this will help us identify your policy quickly. If you don’t know your policy number, you’ll need to tell us the full names of the insured and the address of the insured property. If the claim relates to a car, you’ll need to quote the vehicle registration number. You’ll also need to provide us with all phone numbers, including mobiles, you can be contacted on. If you are not currently staying at your usual residence you will need to advise us of where you can be reached so we can arrange a suitable time for the damage to be inspected.

Q. What else can I do to help?
A. Try to prioritise what needs to be fixed so we can address your most immediate needs as quickly as possible.

Q. If the damage to my home is quite severe - can I contact a tradesperson to carry out emergency repairs?
A. You should contact your local SES for emergency repairs in the first instance. If the SES are not readily available, and you need to act quickly to prevent further damage, you can organise emergency repairs with an available tradesperson. Our assessor will inspect your property and arrange quotes with tradespeople for the permanent repairs on your behalf.

Q. If I don’t want to wait for an assessor, can I speak to a tradesperson and get a quote for the damage now before the assessor arrives?
A. Yes, you can obtain a quote for the damage from a tradesperson. However do not authorise any repairs or work to be carried out until our assessor has inspected your property unless they are an emergency repair to prevent further damage. Please retain a copy of any quotes so they can be passed onto our assessor.

Q. My home is unliveable and I have no where else to stay – can you help me with accommodation?
A. Where you have CommInsure buildings cover and we accept your claim, we will pay reasonable temporary accommodation costs. Please advise us of your accommodation situation when you call to lodge a claim and we will advise you how much we will pay.

Q. How long before an assessor will be able to inspect my property/home?
A. Unfortunately, it is difficult to say. Factors such as extent of the damage and accessibility need to be considered. We have local assessors on board and are bringing in assessors from other regions as well as from interstate if necessary, to ensure all properties are inspected and repairs carried out as quickly as possible.

Q. Can I get an emergency claim payment now to cover my immediate ongoing expenses?
A. Yes, under certain circumstances we will make emergency payments. This decision is made once we accept your claim and is subject to your particular situation.

Q. My property is starting to smell – can I start the clean up process without an assessor having inspected my property?
A. Yes, you can remove damaged items but you must make sure you take photographs or video footage of the damage before removing it. Once you’ve removed the damaged items do not throw them away unless they are food or they create a potential health hazard. Keep them somewhere on your property so the assessor can inspect them and verify your claim.