What You Need In Order to File an Insurance Claim

NOTE: If you need to file a claim right now, contact your insurance company directly, here.

With Hurricane Irma around the corner, many Manatee County residents are boarding up their homes and/or evacuating the area. After the storm passes, the clean up process will begin for the South Florida area. Hopefully, the storm downgrades drastically and this isn’t too terrible of a process.

Based on the CURRENT computer here are some of the wind gusts we can expect through the weekend. This MAY change, so stay tuned. pic.twitter.com/9FS3Ky8aVf

— Dave Osterberg Fox13 (@DaveOFox13) September 8, 2017

But, just to be safe, today we will discuss what you need to and how to be prepared if you need to file a home insurance claim after the storm.

When disaster strikes, knowing that your homeowners insurance policy will cover any repairs that need to be made can be a real stress reliever. If you’ve never filed a claim, you may think that it’s simply a matter of calling your insurance company so they can cut you a check. But there’s much more involved. Knowing what to expect can make the claims process less grueling.

You’ll need to contact your insurance company as soon as possible after the damage occurred to file a claim. Before you do that, however, it’s a good idea to first assess the damage.

It’s also wise to pull out your policy and give it a thorough read-through. Generally, homeowners insurance policies are structured to exclude certain events, structures or types of personal property. That’s something important to be aware of up front. You could be in for a rude awakening if your homeowners insurance policy doesn’t cover the type of damage you have.

What You Will Need

Take pictures of the damage as soon as possible: You will need to document the damage that your home or property suffered quickly and accurately. Take plenty of pictures, and even walk through your home with a camcorder to paint an complete picture.
Take all the costs into account: When you value the claim, include cost of materials, labor, and the value of items that you lost. Add in any money that you have to spend on alternate living arrangements, income you lost from missing work, money you spent on a rental car, and any other additional expenses.
Prevent further damage, but notify the insurance company first: If you are able to prevent further damage with temporary repairs by you or a contractor, then you should talk to the insurance company about what you should do. Do not take any action without advice from your insurance company!

Once you’ve opened a claim, your insurance company will assign an adjuster to come out and take a look at the damage. If you’re concerned that your insurer may try to pay you less than what you think you’re entitled to, you do have the option of hiring an independent public adjuster.

It can take a few days for the adjuster to make an appearance, so you might want to use that time to take pictures of the damage and create an inventory of any personal possessions that were lost. If you can dig up receipts or pictures of the missing items, that can work to your advantage as far as proving your loss. If structural repairs are needed, it can be helpful to have a contractor come out and give you an estimate of what it’ll take to put things back in order.

The adjuster will submit their report to the insurance company and you’ll be given a form to list out the approximate value of your damaged personal items. You’ll need to send this, along with any contractor estimates, back to the insurer in order for the claim to be processed.

Navigating The Process

Once the insurance company has all of the necessary paperwork, they’re responsible for getting a check out to you as quickly as possible. If there are questions about something you’ve included in your personal inventory or there’s an issue with the adjuster’s report, that can delay the reimbursement stage.

If there’s damage to the house as well as damage to other structures on the property or your personal belongings, you may be issued more than one check. The check for the actual home’s damage might be drafted in your name and the name of your mortgage lender. If that happens, you may have to forward the check to the mortgage company and wait for them to release any remaining funds to you once the repairs are made.

Be Thorough: The home insurance claim process reviews the extent and cause of the damage to your home or property. Make sure you are thorough when you describe the damage and the cause, but only stick to facts! You do not need to add your opinion! Additionally, be thorough by paying attention to deadlines, filling out all the necessary forms, and being in touch with the insurance company. Do not let a simple oversight jeopardize your home insurance claim!
Try to be present for any inspections of the damage: Whether the insurance adjuster visits your home or sends an independent inspector, it may be in your best interest to be there as well. You can answer any questions, and prevent an outside party from jumping to conclusions. If you are unable to be present, request a copy of any report as soon as possible.
Don’t get forced into a settlement! Do not be talked into a home insurance claim settlement or agreement just because you are sick of the process. Be patient, be firm, and get the home insurance check you deserve.
Know your rights under the home insurance policy! Read through your policy, and make sure your company does what it is supposed to do. Whether you are owed alternate living arrangements, or the company is responsible for any damage inspection, be aware of what rights you have and exercise them.
Make sure your claim is filed properly: Get a claim number, a contact name and a phone number for your insurance claims adjuster.
Document EVERYTHING! As you go through the process of filing a home insurance claim, you will be in frequent communication with the company. It is important that you keep every document that you exchange with the company, and take detailed notes of any conversation that you have. You need to be diligent in recording and documenting the process.
Stay on top of the insurance company: Your insurance claims adjuster can have multiple cases and may not be as responsive as you need them to be. While this is not a sign that the company is intentionally delaying your claim, it is something that you should prevent. Make sure you stay in regular contact with the company through the home insurance claim process.
Work with the company, but don’t get pushed around: If you feel like you are owed for losses that you can prove occurred, do not accept short payment from the company. You can always dispute an insurance settlement if you can prove you are owed more damages.
Be Honest: Do not lie on a home insurance claim. Not only will your claim be denied, but you can face legal consequences.

Filing a claim can be stressful. But, these tips should help you to get back to normal as quickly as possible. In addition to these, here’s a quick video from FEMA on the subject: