Crop Claim & Crop Injury Documentation

Timely Reporting of Agricultural Losses: An insured producer should be aware that there are time limits for submitting a crop loss claim. These can vary depending on the policy, so it is important for insured producers to be familiar with the terms of their specific crop insurance policy. Insured farmers must take care to submit crop insurance claims in a timely fashion and to provide supporting documentation relating to the cause and amount of crop losses. If a producer fails to report a potential claim within the appropriate time frame, the claim may be denied.

Proper effort and attention to detail at the time of an initial claim to an insurance provider can help facilitate an efficient claims process and prevent unwanted issues from arising during the process. Producers are advised to approach the claims and adjustment process with diligence and documentation of their losses. Innocent mistakes and simple oversights in the process of pursuing a crop insurance claim can be problematic for an insured producer. However, a thorough documentation of the initial crop insurance claim by the producer may significantly diminish the potential for uncertainty, confusion, or disagreement in the claims process.

Most crop insurance policies require farmers to provide information and documentation supporting his or her losses while cooperating with investigation of claims. As with many requests of this nature, and to help ensure a prompt resolution of a claim, producers should consider having a qualified party such as a crop consultant or agronomic specialist visit the farm and document any conditions that resulted in crop losses or prevented a timely planting of crops. Written statements from crop consultants and other experts can expedite the resolution of a crop insurance claim. Moreover, additional proof of loss or adverse farming conditions, including photographs, farm records, crop samples, weather data, or scale tickets may also help facilitate smoother handling of loss claims.