After a Storm Event

3/4/2019 (Permalink)

After a storm, our experience from past storms have shown us that people are resourceful and get anxious to get back home and get their business back up and running. What is important to remember is not to jeopardize your health and safety because you are trying to recover as fast as possible.

Too often claims have been compromised because evidence has been disposed of or altered. To avoid your carrier alleging they didn’t see the evidence of the covered cause of loss or the damaged property, you need to document with photo and video, promptly communicate with your insurance company, and ask them for written instructions on when and how to handle the damage. These best practices sound good but often you can’t reach your insurance company after a storm or get a person on the phone. If this happens to you, continue to document and ensure mitigation but do not throw away items or alter the impact of the damages in the immediate aftermath of the storm. Sometimes it takes weeks before an adjuster comes to the property or even weeks to get access to go back to your property

Here are some ideas to consider:

1. The insurance company is panicked about this storm and the aftermath too. In part, because the storm cuts into their profits, and because the magnitude of loss and number of claims may be too much for their systems and teams to handle.
2. This may be your adjuster’s first hurricane assignment.
3. The representative coming to your property doesn’t have a copy of your insurance policy. Deposition after deposition tells us that the adjuster may have access to a declaration page on an IPad but these adjusters are not studying your coverage and endorsements, but are relying on their “experience”.
4. You can get another copy of insurance policy from the company and you should ask for the complete copy. If you don’t ask for it, some insurance companies may take your silence to mean that you were familiar with the coverage. Some carriers give the impression that any insured who doesn’t ask for help knows all of the insurance provisions backwards and forward and they don’t assist their insureds.

If you have been affected by a storm event. Contact SERVPRO of Stone Mountain/Clarkston at 770-496-1976. We are used to speaking with adjusters and can help. We are available 24/7.