This page identifies and prioritizes your primary duties and shows you where to find them in your insurance contract.
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“SECTION I” of your insurance policy (the Insuring Agreement) addresses covered and excluded causes of loss to your home or business. Once you have determined that your loss is covered, SECTION I. - Conditions; identifies what you must do to comply with your policy language.

When faced with an insured loss, you must:

1. Without delay, undertake all reasonable actions to stop additional or continuing losses to your property. 

2. These required actions include activities like: board-up; tarping, dry-out; clean-up; debris removal; personal property/contents protection & salvage operations; temporary shoring and/or structural repairs; securing of undamaged & salvageable property in off-site climate controlled storage; restoration of personal property items; professional laundry & dry-cleaning services; even temporary housing.

‍3. In the insurance industry, these emergency services are called "loss mitigation" measures. 

4. This work is performed by certified and/or licensed technicians, and are paid-for exclusively by insurance.  And, as cited above, the prompt performance of this work is a "condition precedent to coverage"; this means that you must first comply with Section 1. duties and obligations in order to trigger the obligation of your insurance company to pay you.

5.  Begin loss mitigation measures immediately. 
A.   If your insurance policy is available:  See: "Section 1. - Conditions: Your Duties following a Loss"
‍B.   If your policy is not available, read-on.


Priority I.
                Family and their safety.  

Priority II.              
Before you decide which company will perform these obligations:
A.   Ask what they would do first;
B.   Ask what services they might recommend and why - remember they should be experts and don’t need to rely on your insurance company.
C.   Ask how those services would meet the needs of your loss and your family;
D.   Ask how those services would comply with your policy language;
E.   Ask whether those services would reduce your insurance coverage;
F.   Ask them to explain the fine print and don’t be rushed - read it all.
G:  And, never be afraid to ask hard questions. If you have suffered water damage, you will need to make a decision quickly. Conversely, if you have experienced serious fire damage, you may not be able to complete all needed mitigation measures until the fire department releases the scene. 

Priority III.
              If your home is rendered uninhabitable by the damage, talk with our loss mitigation specialist or call the American Red Cross to secure immediate shelter for your family. FWR can assist you with both immediate and temporary relocation options at your request.

Disclaimer: FWR Professionals, Div. is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice or claim advocacy services. If you have questions about your policy language or the interpretation thereof, please review your insuring agreement and all endorsements with your insurance broker and/or retain the services of a competent attorney specializing in insurance matters. 
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