First things first. Are you safe? Are you okay?
Filing an insurance claim can feel overwhelming, especially when you are already carrying the weight of loss, damage, or crisis. SmartCall is a free navigational tool built from lived experience. Because you deserve more than a muddled internet search during a life-changing event.
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When It First Happens
You do not have to figure this out alone and you do not have to figure it all out at once. Start here.
People and pets first. Everything else can wait.
Even if the emergency feels over, you need an official report. That report becomes part of your claim and you will need it.
Not for belongings. Not to check damage. Wait for clearance from fire or safety officials before anyone enters.
This is the call most people forget or delay. Make it as soon as you are safe. You do not need all the answers yet. You just need to open the claim. The clock matters.
Photos and video. Timestamp everything. The more you capture now the stronger your claim will be. Do not wait until tomorrow.
Red Cross can help you locate pet-friendly options. Call or text 211 for local shelter and support resources. You do not have to figure this out alone.
Adjusters, agents, officials, contractors. Every single one. Start a notes file on your phone right now. Documentation is everything.
No contractor agreements. No insurance forms. Nothing. You have time and you deserve to understand fully what you are agreeing to before you put your name on it.
Not to ask for anything. Not to make decisions. Just so someone who cares about you knows where you are.
You just experienced something significant. The paperwork can wait an hour. Your nervous system cannot. You were not underprepared. You were under-supported. That is what SmartCall is here to change.
Resources
Click any section to explore. More resources are on the way.
Sent by your insurance company to assess the damage, review your coverage, and recommend a settlement amount.
The adjuster is not on your side. Be friendly. Be clear. But never sign anything without reading it first and be present during the inspection so nothing gets missed or minimized.
A licensed professional you hire to manage and advocate for your claim on your behalf.
A public adjuster is your advocate. They know the rules and fight to get you the most money possible...
No one is turned away. Pay what feels right.
An adjuster may ask pointed questions implying something you did or did not do caused the loss. This is a tactic. Document every conversation and do not apologize for things that were not your fault.
If weeks are passing with no updates, no returned calls, and no clear next steps, that is not normal...
No one is turned away. Pay what feels right.
Do not mention attorneys, lawsuits, or litigation to your insurance company or their representatives. Not casually. Not in frustration. Not as a warning. The moment those words are spoken, everything can change. Payments can stop. Work can be paused. Communication can slow to almost nothing.
No one is turned away. Pay what feels right.
"If you do not document, it did not happen. If you document incorrectly, that is how it happened."
You are allowed to not have all the answers. You are allowed to ask questions that feel basic. You are allowed to take a break from the process for a few hours. Grief and shock are real and they affect your ability to think clearly. That is not a weakness. That is human biology.
A disaster is a trauma. Treating it as one is not dramatic, it is the right thing to do. The Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 can connect you to free counseling services in your area. SAMHSA is also available at 1-877-726-4727.
Your pets experienced the same event you did. If you are displaced, the American Red Cross can help identify pet-friendly options and 211 can connect you with local resources.
If you lost a pet, the Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement at aplb.org offers free support groups. The Cornell University Pet Loss Support Hotline is available at 607-218-7457.
After a disaster, contractors appear quickly. Before hiring anyone, ask for their license number and verify it with your state licensing board. Ask for three references from recent similar jobs and actually call them. Get everything in writing. Never pay more than a small deposit upfront.
Look for an attorney who specializes in insurance law or bad faith insurance claims. Many work on contingency, meaning you pay nothing unless you win. Ask how many insurance cases they have handled and exactly how their fee structure works. Your state bar association can verify credentials at no cost.
There are no stupid questions in a crisis. The insurance system is intentionally complex and feeling lost in it says nothing about your intelligence. It says everything about how the system was designed.
Orb is here to answer every question you have been afraid to ask. Open it anytime. No context needed. No judgment. Ever.
Everything on this page plus deeper breakdowns, a printable claims tracker, a first-call script, and step-by-step guidance from filing to final settlement. Pay once and keep it forever.
No one is turned away. Pay what feels right.
SmartCall is building a full claims tracker, a first-call script, and more plain-language tools to help you through every part of your claim. Join the waitlist. It is free.
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Your SmartCall companion
Orb offers general information and supportive guidance only.
Orb is not a lawyer, therapist, or licensed adjuster.