Do I have a Claim?
Policies have specific coverage’s and exclusions, Review your policy Coverage’s and Exclusions Read the endorsements and changes, to see how they apply to your claim. If you are unsure if a claim is covered under your policy, call us for free advice.
Note Water Damages; Pipe Breaks, washing machine overflow, Burst Water heater, Shower pan failures, Faulty drain pipes, HVAC Backup, Burst Ice maker lines & appliance Leaks etc. Many policies have exclusion similar to the following prompt reporting is necessary.
"We do not insure for loss caused directly or indirectly by: Constant or repeated seepage or leakage of water or steam, or the presence or condensation of humidity, moisture or vapor; which occurs over a period of 14 or more days".
Reporting the Claim
*Read
your Policy including all Forms and Endorsements*
How
the claim is
reported can have serious consequence on your claim, the speed of
settlement, amount
of recovery or your claim could be denied entirely. It
is your responsibility to report the claim
and the insurance company’s responsibility to investigate the
claim you
reported.
Some very important
pointers;
Don’t limit your claim! Preform a complete and
thorough investigation
of all property or have a professional investigate the damages so that
your
claim can properly be reported. We
are
continually advised damage is confined to one room or area and our
investigation finds just as much or even more damage in an adjacent
room or
area as no one had looked.
Be
very careful in
explaining the damages and your expectations; an example would be the
adjuster
asks is there any damage to the furniture, your reply is “see
the damage on
that table leg”. A
few weeks later you
receive the adjusters’ summary and it contains $50 to
refinish the table’s leg.
Can the table leg even be refinished?
The proper way to make claim on
this table;
Be very careful of your
wording when making
claim as words can have specific definition in accordance with the
policy.
Flood,
by policy definition in many insurance policies is rising ground water
and not
covered under an ordinary policy.
We
have seen many claims wrongfully denied just because the ponding
occurred due
to a covered loss which is covered under the policy, but the claim was
reported
as a flood and therefore denied.
Report
the claim to your Insurance Company and/or
your agent. The decoration page of your policy and/or the policy itself
provides
information for making a claim. Some
policies require claim to be made directly to the Insurance Company and
not the
agent. It is your job to report the claim. It is the Adjuster
job to
investigate the claim.
*Read
your Policy, “Your Duties After Loss”*
1. Comply
with all of “Your Duties After Loss”
2. Take necessary
action to prevent further damage. There is
an obligation of mitigation under your policy. If temporary repairs are needed, they
should be completed
as soon as possible. Do not make permanent repairs before an insurance
adjuster
inspects the loss. Make only temporary repairs necessary to protect
from
further damage and possible looting. General contractors are
recommended for
any jobs that are require three or more trades. Trades men/Specialty
contractor/Handy men are not entitled to receive profit and overhead,
are not
licensed for multiple trades and do not offer a consumer protection as
afforded
by licensed general contractor.
3. Make a list of all damage
items and take pictures of everything
Many
insurance
policies require documentation of the age of the item, purchased price,
actual
cash value of the item at the time of the loss and current replacement
cost
value.
- Pictures/Photos of damages, pictures/photos
before the loss (as many as you can)
- Make a list of all damaged items including the
value of it (for the best of your knowledge)
- All receipts, invoices, checks and any expense
you have occured
Get what you are OWED and not what the insurance company wants to PAY.
INSURANCE PAYS...WE ASSURE IT!!