What must my insurer do when they receive my claim in Alabama?

All FAQs

Quick answer: Your Alabama insurer must acknowledge your claim within 15 days and, in practice, give you a claim number and a point of contact for the adjuster (Ala. Admin. Code r. 482-1-125-.06). If acknowledgment is not in writing, the regulation requires the insurer to note it, dated, in the claim file.

Alabama's claims regulations spell out specific obligations from the moment your insurer receives your claim, not just a deadline to eventually respond.

What must happen right when the claim comes in?

The insurer must acknowledge receipt within 15 days under Ala. Admin. Code r. 482-1-125-.06(1), and in practice that means assigning a claim number and a point of contact, typically the adjuster handling your file, so you have someone specific to reach.

Does the acknowledgment have to be in writing?

Not necessarily to you. If the insurer acknowledges your claim by phone rather than in writing, the regulation requires it to make a dated note in its own claim file recording that the acknowledgment happened. Either way, ask for your claim number and the adjuster's name and contact information at the first opportunity.

What should I keep track of from this point forward?

Your claim number, the adjuster's name and direct contact, and the date you were notified of the loss (since that date starts the 15-day acknowledgment clock). See the acknowledgment timeline guide for what comes next.

What should this look like from the policyholder's side?

Within roughly two weeks of reporting a claim, an Alabama policyholder should have, at minimum, a claim number and the name and direct contact information of the adjuster assigned to the file. If two weeks pass with neither, that is worth a written follow-up referencing the 15-day acknowledgment rule.