Property claims refer to damages sustained to University-owned property, such as buildings, furniture, and equipment, but does not include University automobiles or personal property.
- Follow normal internal emergency protocols to mitigate damages through Police, Facilities Management/Business & Auxiliary Maintenance, Environmental Health & Safety, and PittIT as applicable.
- Complete all fields in Property Claim Form within 24-48 hours, and submit to the Office of Risk Management (ORM) in accordance with the form’s instructions.
- Provide photographs of damages.
- Preserve physical evidence of damage cause, ie ruptured pipe valve.
- Preserve damaged items until permission to release given by ORM, unless a safety hazard to maintain. Photo documentation must be provided.
- Maintain records of all costs associated with damage mitigation, repair and/or replacement.
- Reimbursement is considered for the lesser of repair vs replacement, which must be of same of similar kind and quality.
- Large loss events may require site visits by field adjusters and University Claims Manager.
- Provide monthly updates (or more as requested) as to the status of the repairs and cost estimate updates.
- Department may be reimbursed for insurable costs of physical damage under the University’s insurance high deductible, therefore full, partial or no reimbursement is subject to ORM Claims Manager and/or insurer determination. Reasons for denial may include, but are not limited to:
- Lack of timely incident reporting
- Lack of cooperation
- Failure to provide monthly updates or more as requested
Large loss events may require site visits by field adjusters and others. Risk Management will contact the appropriate department to coordinate as needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Personal Property
- What if my personal property is stolen or damaged while I am at work?
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Personal property you may have on campus is not insured by the University - please check your homeowner's or tenant's policy to find out if your personal items are covered while they are at the University.
Research Data/Samples
- What if my research data and samples are lost or damaged in a fire, flood, and/or refrigerators and freezer failures?
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The University's blanket property insurance policy provides coverage for the replacement of physical assets and equipment lost or damaged in a covered loss. The cost of reproducing the experiment, biological samples or the cost of gathering, assembling information or data for such reproduction is not covered by insurance.