What to do in the Event of a Claim

If you have a loss, do four things in order: make sure everyone is safe, stop the damage from getting worse, write down and photograph what happened, and call Top O' Michigan at 800-686-8664 to report it. Report promptly, keep your receipts, and do not authorize permanent repairs until the adjuster approves them. This guide walks through each kind of claim so you know what comes next.

A loss is stressful whether it is a burst pipe at a Hillman farmhouse, a fender-bender on US-23 outside Alpena, or a fire at a Gaylord storefront. The steps below are the same ones our agents walk clients through over the phone every week. Coverage is always subject to the terms of your policy and to underwriting, and nothing is bound or altered until confirmed by an authorized representative, but knowing the process keeps a hard day from getting harder.

What should you do in the first hour after a loss?

Your first hour matters more than any other. Once everyone is safe and any medical needs are handled, your job is to keep the loss from spreading and to document it before anything gets cleaned up or thrown away.

Protect people first, then property, and only if it is safe to do so
Contact emergency responders and shut off gas, water, or electricity as needed
Take photos and video of all the damage before you make any temporary repairs
Make reasonable temporary repairs to prevent further damage, such as tarping a roof or boarding a window, and save the receipts
Separate damaged items from undamaged ones, and do not discard anything until the claim is authorized
Call Top O' Michigan to report the loss and get a claim started

What are your duties after a loss?

An insurance policy is a conditional contract: when you hold up your responsibilities, the carrier holds up theirs and pays the covered loss according to the policy. Those responsibilities are usually grouped into three duties, and meeting them is what keeps a claim moving fairly.

Protect the property from further harm and take reasonable steps to mitigate the loss. Keeping damage from getting worse is your obligation, and skipping it can slow or reduce a claim
Report the loss to your agent or the claims department promptly, with the location, what happened, what is damaged, your photos, and any temporary-repair receipts
Cooperate with the adjuster, who may ask for invoices, estimates, a police or incident report, financial records, or additional photos and statements

One important point on repairs: only the claims adjuster can authorize payment. Your Top O' Michigan agent cannot approve or promise payment on their own, but we can guide you through every step and speak directly to the carrier on your behalf.

What should you do at the scene of a car accident?

Auto claims have their own on-the-scene checklist, because what you do in the first few minutes protects both your safety and your claim. If you are in an accident anywhere from Petoskey to Iron River, work through these steps in order.

Stop immediately, and try not to block traffic if the vehicle can be moved
Check everyone for injuries and call 911 if anyone is hurt or there is significant damage
Move drivable vehicles out of the roadway and turn on your hazard lights
Gather names, phone numbers, addresses, insurance carriers and policy numbers, and vehicle make, model, year, and plate for every driver involved
Collect contact information for any witnesses, and photograph the vehicles, plates, and the whole scene
Make a quick sketch showing where the vehicles ended up, the traffic signs, and the road conditions
Do not admit fault and do not sign any settlement paperwork at the scene; state the facts to the police and to your agent
Notify Top O' Michigan as soon as you can so the claim starts correctly

The best time to understand your auto coverage is before any of this happens. Ask your agent about options such as rental reimbursement, towing and labor, loan or lease gap coverage, and new-car replacement, so you are not learning what you have on the shoulder of M-32.

How do you handle a property or home claim?

For fire, weather, theft, or water damage to your home or building, protect and document first, then let the claim run its course. After you report it, the adjuster will contact you by phone, email, or an online portal, arrange any inspection or appraisal, review your estimates, help coordinate a contractor if you ask, address additional living or business-interruption expenses, and issue settlement payments based on your policy terms.

You have the right to choose any qualified contractor you prefer. Carriers may recommend vendors, and those can speed things up, but the final choice is yours. Get an estimate from a licensed contractor, and hold off on permanent repairs until the adjuster signs off.

What happens with a liability claim?

If someone alleges you or your business caused bodily injury or property damage, call Top O' Michigan right away, even before any lawsuit is filed. Forward every piece of correspondence, including attorney letters or a summons, and do not discuss the incident with the other party or their attorney. The adjuster investigates, communicates directly with the claimant, and defends and negotiates the claim where the policy applies.

What about a workers' compensation claim?

If an employee is hurt on the job, complete the Employer's First Report of Injury or Disease, submit it through your carrier's reporting system, and forward a copy to the state as required. Send us a copy for any serious injury or fatality, and let us know if the claim stalls. The adjuster contacts the injured employee, coordinates medical treatment and documentation, works with you on lost time, and manages benefits and return-to-work.

What claim red flags should you watch for?

Most claims go smoothly, but a few situations are worth a call to your agent before you respond.

Long response delays outside of a major storm or catastrophe event
A request for an Examination Under Oath, which you should never handle without talking to your agent first
Pressure to use a specific vendor; carrier-preferred vendors are optional, and the choice remains yours

If something feels unclear or off, reach out before you sign or agree to anything. Do not assume that a denial or a reduced payment is automatically correct. We work with claims departments regularly to clarify coverage and pursue a proper resolution.

How can you prepare before a loss ever happens?

The smoothest claims belong to people who got ready before they needed to. A short afternoon now saves hours later.

Learn how to shut off your water, gas, and electricity
Keep an up-to-date home or business inventory with photos, and store important documents with a digital backup
Identify a couple of trusted local contractors ahead of time
For a business, write down evacuation steps, a vendor contact list, a temporary operating location, and your most essential functions

For more on choosing a policy in the first place, our Insurance 101 page breaks down the basics, and the agent vetting checklist helps you find an agency that will actually show up when you have a claim.

How does Top O' Michigan help during a claim?

Our team is here to be your advocate, not just when you buy coverage but when it matters most. Your policy requires timely reporting, so the sooner you call, the sooner we can report the claim correctly, help interpret the policy language, advocate for coverage when it should apply, and step in on delays, disputes, or denials.

That human advocacy is the whole point of working with a local agency. According to the Insurity 2026 consumer survey, 86% of consumers still prefer a human agent for complex decisions, and a claim is exactly that kind of moment. If you ever have a loss anywhere in Michigan, from Thunder Bay to Traverse City, call us at 800-686-8664 or email service@thespireteam.com, and if you want to know your nearest office, our Alpena team can point you to the right one. Coverage is subject to underwriting and is not bound or altered until confirmed by an authorized representative.