HOW TO REPORT PROPERTY DAMAGE WHEN FILING AN INSURANCE CLAIM

Although the 2015 hurricane season has been mild so far, the United States has experienced a number of other natural disasters that have caused widespread property damage in some regions.  Catastrophic wildfires out West and heavy downpours resulting in flooding in various states over the last several months have resulted in millions of dollars of commercial and residential property damage.

While certain types of natural disasters are more prone to impact specific regions of the country, others can occur anywhere.  Due to this fact, it’s important for property owners to be prepared with adequate insurance coverage to protect their property and belongings and to know ahead of time how to react if they experience damages.

Tom Allen from Hudson Douglas Public Adjusters, LLC, a multistate insurance claims expert, provides the following advice for property owners:

• Report a claim to the insurance company and secure the property as soon as it is safe to do so. Document every form of communication with the insurance provider with dates, times, who was spoken to, and the advice and actions provided by the insurance company.
• Consider hiring a knowledgeable and licensed public adjuster.  Their singular purpose is to represent the policy holder and be their advocate during the entire claims process.  Not only can a public adjuster expedite the process, they also may uncover damage that was missed by the insurance company to ensure the property is repaired to pre-damage conditions.
•     Be careful with the terminology that is used when communicating with the insurance company.  Some policies do not cover flood or mold damage so avoid using these words.
•    Take pictures of all the damage and do not throw anything away until an insurance representative has inspected the property and given authorization to do so.

“Property owners rarely anticipate that their home or business will be damaged or destroyed, so it can be a real shock when it happens,” said Mr. Allen. “This is why it’s so important to know what to do before being faced with this type of situation.  Getting a public adjuster involved to represent your interests from the beginning can alleviate much of this stress and also ensure the insurance company covers everything under the policy.”