So, um, let's say your neighbor's tree falls and smashes your fence. You snap some quick photos and maybe a shaky video. Would that be enough proof for insurance, or would they want something more official? Curious how this usually goes down.
"You snap some quick photos and maybe a shaky video. Would that be enough proof for insurance, or would they want something more official?"
Honestly, from what I've seen, your quick pics and shaky vid should be fine as a starting point. Insurance companies usually just want clear evidence of what happened and the extent of the damage. I had a similar thing happen last year when a storm blew some shingles off my roof and onto my neighbor's car... yeah, awkward situation. Anyway, I took some quick shots with my phone—nothing fancy, just clear enough to show the damage and the general scene—and sent those in first.
The insurance folks did ask me a few follow-up questions later, mostly about the date, time, and weather conditions (like was it windy or stormy), but they never asked for anything more "official" than my own photos. They might send someone out to take their own look if it's a bigger claim or if something seems off, but usually your initial documentation is enough to get things rolling.
One tip though: make sure you get multiple angles if you can. Even if they're shaky or blurry, having different perspectives helps them piece together exactly what happened. And don't move anything around until you've documented it thoroughly—insurance adjusters love seeing stuff exactly how it fell.
Anyway, sucks about your fence... hope it gets sorted quickly without too much hassle.