After suffering a loss, your insurance company may ask you to submit a Sworn Statement in Proof of Loss. This is a formal statement from you that goes over the circumstances surrounding your loss as well as the scope of the loss.
The information in your proof of loss statement includes a statement about the cause of the loss, proof of ownership, your estimates for the loss, and documents to support your estimates. An insurance company will use this statement to determine what they need to cover in your insurance claim.
Since this is a sworn statement, your insurance company is basically asking for something that makes you swear the circumstances in your insurance claim are true and that you have evidence to show you owned the property that has been damaged.
Insurance policies usually have a provision that states that your insurance company has the right to request that statement. Once your insurance company has requested your statement in proof of loss, you have a certain window of time to submit your statement, usually 60 days, but some insurance companies may have a shorter or longer window of time; they usually request it in writing. If you do not submit your statement within the time frame, your insurance company can deny your claim.
You can request an extension if there are extenuating circumstances, but your insurance company can choose not to grant it. If you do not hear from them, assume you have not been granted the extension.
Keep in mind that this is a sworn statement, so any errors or accuracies can lead to your claim getting denied. If you are making a big claim, your insurance company will be looking closely for errors in your sworn statement so that they can deny your claim.
Make sure you include proof of your loss in your statement. Things like estimates, receipts, home inventories, and anything else that proves your loss is genuine. Read the “duties after a loss” section of your insurance policy to get a better idea of exactly what your insurance company expects of you in terms of proof of loss.
After filling out your form, take it to your local notary; you can usually find one at a courthouse, bank, or mailing service. When you bring it to the notary, you will sign and date your form in front of them, then they will fill out and sign that they have witnessed and notarized your signature. If it is not notarized, your insurance company can deny the claim.
Insurance policies are worded confusingly, so you may not be sure what exactly you need to provide in this statement. A public adjuster can help you make sense of your insurance policy and help you prepare your sworn statement. They are licensed professionals who can advocate for you with your insurance company to help you get the maximum your insurance company owes you for your claim.