Having your home and belongings damaged by disaster or theft is bad enough, without having to also focus on understanding your homeowner's or renter's insurance, putting in a claim, and successfully getting coverage.

This is, however, a time when staying organized and being ready to advocate on your own behalf can make a big difference in your eventual recovery. Keep the following tips in mind:

1. Take photos of the damage, pronto. This will help prove to the insurance company what happened. Things might look different by the time the insurance adjuster arrives (the company representative who investigates your claim and figures out how much, if anything, you are owed). That's especially true because you might need to take immediate steps to stop the damage from increasing, as described next.
2. Stop ongoing problems from getting worse. If, for example, a damaged pipe is leaking water, you shouldn't just let it flow until the adjuster comes to see it. Your insurer will not cover you for damage that you could have averted or avoided. Don't worry, you'll have a chance to claim reimbursement for these temporary repairs (save the the receipts!) and for related costs, such as extra utilities.
3. Set aside damaged items to show the adjuster. Although your urge might be to clean up and throw out items that are beyond repair, remember that they're evidence of the severity of the damage. Also, your homeowner's or renter's insurance should cover the cost of replacing personal possessions (up to a preset limit).
4. Don't argue with affected neighbors until you're sure of your rights and responsibilities. If the damage affected fences or neighboring properties, figuring out who pays for what gets more complex. Not all the rules are intuitively obvious, either. For instance, if your tree fell into the neighbor's yard for reasons other than your own negligence, it may actually be the neighbor (or his or her insurance company) who must pay for the damage. Too many neighbors start disputes without realizing that their own insurance companies have a different view of the various obligations.
5. Prepare a complete home inventory. In an ideal world, you will have planned for this ahead of time, but many people don't. In that case, you will need to pull together purchase receipts and photos of the possessions that were destroyed or damaged. You'll then need to give this to the insurance adjuster.
6. Your home inventory may include more items than you think. For instance, exterior and landscaping items might be covered by your policy. Also include food items and sundries if your policy covers them. Add up how much it will cost to restock the pantry and freezer.
7. Examine the damage yourself, before the adjuster arrives. You, after all, know best what your home and property looked like before the damage. You might be able to point out cracks, breakage, tilting floors, or stains that indicate new structural or related damage.
8. Get your own repair estimates from contractors. These will be useful to compare to the claims adjuster's estimate. If the latter is low, you can use the estimates you received to explain this and argue for more coverage.
9. Consider hiring independent professional help. An independent insurance adjuster will work with an insurance claims attorney to fight low settlements. The customer service approach of insurance companies varies widely, and you might find yourself having to battle for what's rightfully owed you.
10. Keep a log of all communications regarding your claim. This should include written correspondence, phone calls, voice mails, and email messages with your insurance company, contractors, and so on. Also be vigilant in monitoring bills and receipts.

If handled properly, your homeowner's or renter's insurance can be the key factor in getting your life back on track.