Protecting Yourself from Burglaries with California Home Insurance

Discovering that your home has been burgled is bound to be upsetting, on many levels.  To help you to deal with this experience we have prepared a list of things to be done if you come home to find that there has been a break-in. While you may intend to quickly file a California home insurance claim to compensate you for losses, in the immediate aftermath of a burglary your personal wellbeing must be your highest priority.

• Leave the scene as soon as you see signs of break-in or burglary. Don’t go inside your home; call the police from your cell phone or from a neighbor’s phone.
• Don’t touch anything until the police have completed their work. Touching anything – even the telephone – can destroy evidence such as traces of the burglar’s DNA. (It’s not unusual for a burglar to use the telephone during a burglary.)
• Get the police crime number; you will need this when you report the incident to your insurer.
• Cancel any credit cards that have been stolen by calling your financial institution.
• Contact your agent or insurer to report the burglary, and get instructions on making your home secure by boarding up broken windows or fixing broken locks.  This may be covered by your home insurance policy, or you may need to arrange it yourself.

Consider enhancing your security by changing locks or installing a burglar alarm. Your home inventory can be used as a checklist when you assess your losses and can be used to support your California home insurance claim.

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