Insurance companies often take their policyholders for a ride when they file an insurance claim. More often than not, the insurance adjuster takes advantage of the policyholder’s lack of knowledge about insurance and offers them a lowball settlement, or worse, denies their claim altogether.
This article will provide a brief outline of the dos and don’ts of filing an insurance claim. When it comes to filing an insurance claim for covered damages to your property, there are certain things you should definitely do and certain things you should never do. So, let’s get into it!
The Dos
Here are a few things that you should absolutely do when filing an insurance claim
DO notify your insurance carrier as soon as is practically possible.
If you have sustained covered damages to your residential or commercial property, you should not wait too long to inform your insurance carrier about the damages. Ideally, you should notify your insurance carrier of the property damage as soon as it is possible for you to do so. However, do have an experienced public adjuster or experienced property damage attorney review your policy before filing a property insurance claim. Since every policy is written differently & has different language as to the limitations on coverage, it makes it exceedingly difficult going through an insurance policy to make sure you are interpreting the language correctly in connection with your claim for damages. An experienced public adjuster or experienced property damage attorney can help you in making your claim.
DO take an inventory of any damage
When it comes to insurance claims, evidence is a key element that goes a long way towards receiving the settlement you deserve. The insurance company will want to know the nature and scope of the damage, as well as the kind of materials that were damaged. The first thing you should do is take an inventory of your home. Make a list of any damage to your house and personal property. Identify which parts of your property were damaged. Do the same for your valuables, for example electronics, vehicles, major appliances, and furniture. Taking picture or Videoing is a great way to document your damage. Also keep all receipts for any extra living expenses incurred. Or any emergency repairs made.
If, for example, your house received damage due to a broken window during a rainstorm, make sure you have video evidence for the broken window and the water seeping into your house from this specific entry point.
DO call in a professional to help you document and estimate the damages
Once you file your insurance claim, the insurance company will send over their adjuster to document, assess, and estimate the scope of damages to your property. Do obtain your own independent estimate to submit to your insurance company.
DO take steps to prevent further damage
If the insurance company manages to find evidence that you did not prevent further damages to your property, they will most likely give you a low-ball offer to settle your property damage claim. Therefore, try to make some efforts to prevent any further damage to your property after the initial damage has taken place.
The Don’ts
DO NOT (unless it is an emergency), start permanent repairs to any damage before the insurance carrier has the opportunity to inspect.
Give the insurance carrier a chance to document and assess the damages to your property as caused by the covered event. Do not start any repairs on the property before the insurance carrier has a chance to do so. Otherwise, they may estimate a lower scope of damages and therefore offer you a lower settlement than the one you deserve. However, if repairs need to be made immediately, do not discard any damaged portion of the house before the insurance company has had a chance to inspect it.
DO NOT: Throw away any damaged property before the carrier has the opportunity to inspect
Similarly, all damaged property will serve as evidence that will drive your case to a fair settlement. Therefore, do not throw away any damaged property before the insurance carrier can document the damages fully.
DO NOT assume that you must use the insurance carrier’s vendors for repairs or mitigation
The insurance carrier may want to send over their own contractors to repair your property or mitigate any further damage. However, depending on the language in your policy, you may not be bound to use their vendors to carry out repairs. Your policy language will likely allow you to hire your own contractor to perform repairs.
Consumer Law Office – Handling Property Insurance Disputes From Start of the Filing of Your Damage Claim to Settlement of your Claim
If you are engaged in a dispute with your insurance carrier regarding the nature or scope of damages to your property, contact one of our Florida Property Damage Attorneys at The Consumer Law Office to fight on your behalf and ensure that you receive the settlement you are entitled to.
Similarly, if you are unsure of how to proceed with the filing of your insurance claim and the documenting of relevant evidence about the scope of property damages, highly experienced Property Damage Attorneys at The Consumer Law Office are here to help you from the start with filing your claim. The Property Damage Team at the Consumer Law Office will document your damage and prepare its own independent estimate and submit that estimate to your insurance company.
Consumer Law Office is a client-centric firm committed to achieving rapid results through aggressive litigation for fast settlement or even conclusion at trial if necessary. Our Florida Property Damage Attorneys will fight aggressively on behalf of residential and commercial policyholders from start to settlement. We are committed to producing maximum recovery results from insurance companies through the firm’s deep understanding of insurance law and proactive approach to litigation.
DO NOT get taken advantage of by the insurance company. Let us file your claim today! Contact us today for a free consultation at our phone number: 305-940-0924. Or visit our website for more information.
