Insurance Home

Claims Administration

Insurance Claims

Type of Claims

  • Property: university property, buildings, equipment, not including vehicles
  • Business auto for university-insured vehicles: licensed vehicles i.e., rented, leased, owned, courtesy
  • General liability or professional liability
  • Workers comp claims are handled through Human Resources

Notify Risk Management and Insurance

  • File a police report if appropriate (i.e., theft, injury)
  • Provide details to risk management, in writing preferred (date, time, exact location, circumstances, parties involved, witnesses, injuries or damages, submitted by)
  • Risk Management and Insurance will file the claim with the university insurance carrier
  • If appropriate, a Cincinnati Insurance claims adjustor will be assigned
  • The claims adjustor will usually inspect property or vehicle damage

Important to Provide Notification

  • To document the incident
  • To allow the insurance company to investigate the incident in a timely manner.
  • Not doing so could jeopardize the chances of recovery should something develop later.
  • If you are unsure if you should report an incident, go ahead and do it - circumstances can change, and the loss could have a more significant impact than initially anticipated.

Settlement / Reimbursement

  • Each claims adjustor has their way of handling a claim
  • Okay to go forward with temporary repairs and cleanup efforts - safety is important
  • A claims adjustor most likely will want to approve quotes or estimates before going forward with final repairs - ask before moving forward
  • Depending on the incident, some adjustors will give a blanket okay, but some will be more involved in the details
  • The larger the claim, the more involved a claims adjustor will become
  • Most adjustors prefer Xavier Risk Management and Insurance office to coordinate estimates/invoices for reimbursement purposes
  • Risk Management and Insurance can pay invoices directly, or Risk Management can reimburse when a copy of the request for check or purchase order paperwork is provided
  • Deductible amounts vary depending on the coverage applied to a claim
  • In most cases, the university's Insurance budget covers the deductible amount for a bona fide claim

Property Loss Claims

Damage to University-Owned Buildings, Property, Equipment

  • Date of loss, date and time when the damage occurred
  • Campus location, i.e., building, department, office
  • Describe the incident or damage, what/how happened
  • List of damaged university property
  • Note who was involved, witnesses and any injuries, and who is submitting the report
  • Take photos, if possible, and provide copies of any documentation available
  • Protect the property from further damage
    • Make temporary repairs if reasonable and necessary for safety
    • Maintain a record of cleanup or repairs made and expenses incurred
  • Retain damaged property until a claims adjustor approves disposal, if possible and if safe to do so, since the adjustor may need to inspect the property or consider salvage efforts
  • Be prepared to provide information or documentation requested by the claims adjustor
  • Report any changes to the circumstances or severity of the incident
  • Although the university is insured for all university property, this insurance coverage does not extend to personal property belonging to employees or students
  • There is no physical damage (collision and comprehensive) coverage through the university on a personal vehicle - personal vehicles are used at the employee's option and at their own risk and must be insured by the owner

Business Auto Claim

Damage to University-Insured Vehicle (Owned, Leased, Rented, Courtesy)

  • On-campus incident: contact XUPD and Risk Management and Insurance office
  • Off-campus incident: contact the local police department where the incident occurred and the Risk Management and Insurance office
  • Off-campus and outside regular business hours: contact Schiff Agency directly (phone number listed on the proof of auto insurance card) and also leave a message for Risk Management and Insurance ooffice - the agency will confirm with Risk Management and Insurance office on the next business day
  • Risk Management and Insurance will file and coordinate the claim process
  • Wear and tear, maintenance type repairs are not covered by insurance
  • If a claims adjustor is assigned, they will want to speak with all parties involved and view the damaged vehicle(s)
  • Obtain the following at the time of the accident:
    • Name and address of each driver, passenger, witness
    • Location of accident
    • Make, model, and VIN for each vehicle involved
    • Name of the insurance company and policy number for each vehicle involved
  • Do not accept responsibility or discuss the accident with anyone except a law enforcement officer, representative of the Cincinnati Insurance Company, or the Risk Management and Insurance office.
  • Take photos of the accident site, if possible
  • Have the vehicle towed to the repair facility if unable to drive
  • We may choose the repair site, and the adjustor will go there to view the damage
  • Obtain an estimate - do not repair damage to the vehicle until cleared by the insurance adjustor - ask the repair shop to email the estimate to the Risk Management & Insurance office at riskmanagement@xavier.edu
  • Check with Risk Management and Insurance office if you need a rental vehicle to confirm coverage