Tips to get Fair Insurance Settlement
Natural disasters such as wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods have been making headlines. We've seen hundreds of homes go up in flames in southern California; thousands of homes battered by hurricanes and tornadoes in Texas and the south; and thousands more submerged by the mighty Mississippi and other swollen rivers. These catastrophes play themselves out again and again. The locations may change but the story is identical: heartbreaking devastation.
While wildfires, catastrophic storms, and floods cause widespread damage, the nation's homes are regularly damaged by less ominous forces: baseballs that break windows; stove-top fires cause smoke damage ; burst pipes damage walls, flooring, and furnishings. Other regular homeowners insurance claims include fire, theft, vandalism, mold, hail damage, water damage, and more. Throughout the nation, homeowners regularly file insurance claims, even even without the catastrophe.
Regardless of what has damaged your home, if it's covered by your insurance policy, you can rest easy knowing that it will probably be taken care of - or can you? Insurance companies are businesses that desire to create a profit to live. Part of that profit comes from premiums and another part comes from minimizing insurance losses.
One method to minimize insurance losses is to limit what they will cover. For example, life insurance companies will likely deny a life insurance coverage to a 98-year-old smoker with emphysema. After all, that you will find an unnecessary risk and a bad investment, unlikely to turn a profit.
A different way to minimize insurance losses is to underestimate the damage or overlook potential losses. For example, if your house has been burglarized, the insurance company may undervalue your possessions or fail to prompt you to list everything stolen. In fact, it's your responsibility to document the losses, not the adjuster's.
If you need to file an insurance claim, keep in mind that although the adjuster is a nice enough person, he is also an insurance company representative who needs to minimize company losses.
There are many options to ensure your interests are protected. First, perform a thorough home inventory. You should do this before your home is damaged if possible. Go room through room and document everything. Take extensive notes, photos, and video. During your inventory, note valuable items such as artwork, jewelry, furs, and coin collections. These often have low insurance limits. If you have such valuables, purchase an insurance rider to make sure that you are adequately insured.
Next, get organized because you'll have tons of paperwork associated with your claim. Use an expandable folder to keep close track of everything including receipts, repair estimates, documentation, notes, and forms.
Research your options and read your insurance policy. Look up terms that you don't understand. In addition, visit your states office of insurance and find out about the regulations in your geographical area. You might have specific rights that aren't spelled out in the policy.
Be assertive and proactive. When the adjuster visits your home, point out the damage and ask him to consider hidden damage. Make sure the adjuster does a thorough inspection. If possible, have a third party contractor, like a roof inspector (if you need roof repairs), present. The contractor can point out damage that the insurance adjuster may not have noted otherwise.
With respect to the scale of your home's damage, you might want to hire an independent insurance appraiser to represent your interests. In addition, you might consider a “do-it-yourself” insurance claims kit to better arm yourself for the insurance claims battle ahead.
For those who have experienced an insurance claim that you'll require help with, consider contacting an independent appraiser to get a fair assessment of your damage. Insurance Claims Group can help you with your fire insurance damage claim, contact us at www.insuranceclaimsgroup.com
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