Property damages caused by hurricanes are one of the most severe ones, affecting roofs, windows, and walls and sometimes leading to complete property loss.
How to Prepare for a Hurricane?
If there’s a warning about a potential hurricane that’ll hit near or through your city, it’s suggested to evacuate to a safer place, as your personal safety and that of your family’s is the most important concern. Before evacuating, put shutters on the windows, especially if you live in a house. If you live in an apartment complex, the association will typically send maintenance staff to install the shutters for you.
How to File a Hurricane Damage Insurance Claim
1. Contact an Insurance Claims Adjuster
If you have no experience in filing insurance claims, it’s suggested to contact an insurance claims adjuster, also known as a public adjuster. A public adjuster will ensure you get the maximum recovery possible for your loss. Remember, hurricane damages are the one that causes the most devastation, and you need to have a professional assess your losses.
2. Paperwork and Collecting Evidence
The public adjuster will start collecting evidence to sustain your claim against the insurance company. After collecting enough evidence, the adjuster will ask for your insurance company’s information. As a tip, it’d help not to enter the premises until the adjuster inspects the property and collects the evidence that’ll help your claim.
3. Submitting the Claim
Your adjuster will represent you and present the claim to your insurance company. It’s common for adjusters to use the help of lawyers to assist them during discussions with insurance companies. Your public adjuster should always keep you informed on what’s the current status of your claim application.
4. Settlement
After going back and forth with your insurance company, the insurance company will notify you about the settlement of your claim. If the proposed settlement by the insurance company isn’t what is expected, the public adjuster can dispute the settlement for a better recovery.
Reasons to Not to File an Insurance Claim By Yourself
The main reason why you wouldn’t want to do it all by yourself is that the insurance company will use their employee to assess your losses and create a report. It’s common to see a 40-50% higher settlement by using a public adjuster that works for you and not the one assigned by the insurance company. Besides that, public adjusters guide your case from the beginning until the end.