NEWS

WIRES

OTHER

Chubb Urges Customers to File Claims Quickly and Tap Damage Mitigation Services After Ike

The Chubb Group of Insurance Companies is urging its customers to file claims as soon as possible to help minimize potential damage to their property due to Hurricane Ike.

In preparation for the storm, Chubb has placed its vendor network of restoration specialists on alert to help mitigate and repair damage to residential and commercial structures and their contents. At the time a claim is filed, Chubb will contact certified mitigation specialists to help secure and board up premises, prevent further damage and immediately begin the drying process.

"Once civil authorities allow access, our adjusters, as well as our mitigation specialists, will seek to minimize the damage and the disruption to your life and quickly assess your loss, with the goal of enabling you and your family or employees to return to the premises as soon as possible," said Bill Turnbull, senior vice president of Chubb & Son and worldwide property claim manager. "The longer water remains inside a building, the more severe the damage can be and the longer it will take to restore the property to its pre-loss condition."

Chubb personal and commercial customers who need to file a claim can call 1-800 CLAIMS-0 (1-800-252-4670) or submit a claim online at www.chubb.com.

"We are in the process of mobilizing our commercial and personal claims professionals into the potentially affected area to begin the claim adjusting process as soon as possible following the storm," said Turnbull. "Customer service representatives and adjusters will be available throughout the weekend should any customer, agent or broker need to file a claim."

Chubb is offering an additional service to its personal insurance customers who do not have access to their insurance policies after evacuating from their homes. Homeowners may request a copy of their policy through their insurance agent or broker. In addition, personal customers who have previously enrolled in Chubb's ePolicy program can access and print their policy from any computer with Internet access at any time.

"Our recent experience with hurricanes has alerted us to an uptick in the demand for policy reprints," said Peter Spicer, communications manager for Chubb Personal Insurance. "When people are asked to evacuate their homes, their personal safety is at the top of their minds, and they often leave without taking valuable papers such as their insurance policy. The ability to obtain a copy of their policy is a valuable service -- especially if they need to file a claim due to Hurricane Ike."

The member insurers of the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies form a multi-billion dollar organization providing property and casualty insurance for personal and commercial customers worldwide through 8,500 independent agents and brokers. Chubb's global network includes branches and affiliates in North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia and Australia.