My Inventory
To start, let me introduce myself. My name is Robert Healy and my background is a bit varied, all of which comes into play in the development of this program. First, I hold two degrees in photography courtesy of the U.S. Navy which employed me as a combat photo journalist for several years. During this time I also worked in the areas of forensic and investigative photography for several law enforcement agencies as well as the FBI. I have testified in federal and state courts as both a material witness and expert witness. While in the Navy for additional part time income I would do insurance photography for people to have a record of their possessions for insurance policies. After my tour in the Navy ended I took the position of Director of Photography for a large television network. While at the TV network we suffered a devastating fire which totally destroyed the executive offices and unfortunately all of the photo facility. I have seen and lived through the difficulty of recreating all of the items in an area that were destroyed, and how it is almost impossible to put it all together for an insurance claim.
Imagine if you can where certain things are in your home or office. If something comes to mind you could probably go to its location and find it. Now think for a moment, could you name all of the items in the cabinet or drawer next to you? Probably not. Now put yourself in one of these positions. What if there were a fire and everything were in ashes... What if a flood or storm washed everything away... What if your property were broken into by burglars... These are all real risks of everyday life and hopefully you will never need to find out.
If you were to suffer a catastrophic loss it is extremely difficult to recall everything you had or need to replace. In the case of most insurance companies filing a claim is a one shot deal. Six months from now when an item comes to mind that you forgot to claim originally it is to late. Let's look at some test questions to prove my point. Can you describe in detail all of the jewelry in your home? What is the value of each piece? How many kitchen utensils do you own? What type, pattern and make is your china or crystal? How many pieces of fine silver are in your set? How would you describe the artwork or paintings in your home or office? What is the value of all of the decorative items sitting around your home or office? How many pair of shoes do you have? What would it cost to replace all of your underwear? These last ones were not meant to be silly, if you were to have a total loss by fire or natural disaster, all of these things need to be replaced. When you look at all of the small things you own it can amount to a lot of money. Remember, when you purchase most of these items you do it over years and buy them one at a time so it does not seem like a major expense. How much would it cost you to go out and purchase all of the items in your dresser drawers or closets at a single time?
Another major factor that people do not consider is the emotion involved in a major loss. Having graduated from the school of Been There & Done That, I can tell you it is almost impossible to stand in the shell of a building after a fire and develop a detailed list of the contents prior to the fire. Six months after the fire we were regularly thinking of things we had that were not claimed. Many of these items do not come to mind at the time of the event as emotions are clouding the memory and the list of things to do and replace become overwhelming. There are so many additional issues that take place at the time of a major event that keeping up with all of them is virtually impossible. Issues like where do we go?, How does the business maintain itself?, What forms need to be filed?, What about the family? and on and on. The last thing you will be in mental condition for is having to file all of the insurance forms, claims, documents, descriptions and inventory details required by an insurance agent.
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