It has been three (3) years since Hurricane Katrina devastated both Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The 2005 Hurricane Season was one of the worst on record and caused billions of dollars in damage. The 2008 Hurricane Season is now upon us; having started on June 1st, the hurricane season runs through November 30th. The 2008 Hurricane Season was predicted to be "above average", however to date the season and the tropics have been relatively quiet with only a few named storms, and only one that impacted south Texas. Historically however, the worse storms form in August through October. Your insurance company has not forgotten about the damages paid out in previous years. Policy owners in effected coastal and hurricane zone areas have seen rate increases year after year to pay for past losses and payouts for property damages. As a result, now is the time for home and property owners to evaluate their property casualty insurance to assure that they are covered in case of storm damage loss.
Take photos and make a list of your personal property - Normally your insurance policy has different coverages for property and personal property damages (i.e. clothes, food, furniture). By taking photos or video of both the internal and external property of your house and taking an inventory of the major items will greatly assist any claim against your insurance carrier.
Maintain trees and shrubbery and other outside objects in a safe location - trees and shrubbery branches often become missiles during a storm, and uprooted trees can actually damage roofs and trusses by colliding with houses.
Take photos immediately after the storm of damages - It is critical to take photos to show any immediate damages to property and personal property to disclose the causation factor. In other words, the storm caused the damages. Many times insurance companies will attempt to deny damages.
Keep your important documents in a safe place - Make sure you have birth certificates, auto titles, deeds, financial documents, and any other important documents. A small lock box, or hand held file carrier can be transported easily and is a safe way to transport documents with you if you are required to evacuate your home.
In case of a Power Outage save all receipts for food, hotels, and other expenses. If you are forced to leave your home hastily by authorities as a result of an approaching storm; make sure you save your out of pocket expenses for spoiled food, hotel stays, and other expenses for having to evacuate your home.
Contact your insurance company immediately after the storm - Don't wait to contact your insurance company to see if you have damages, more then likely the insurance company will be swamped with calls for damages; get inline and contact your insurance carrier to assess your damages.
Keep time for how long it takes you to clean-up. It may reimbursable. - Take notes on all the hours and expenditures you have for your clean-up efforts.
Record the name and date of the insurance adjuster that visited your home. - Your insurance company has an affirmitive duty to record dates and times of calls regarding your case. But guess what ? They rarely track as closely as they should. Your evidence that you contacted and informed them of your damages may become a key issue in case their is a dispute regarding your damages.
Make sure the insurance company gives you a claim number - Once you contact your insurance company ask them for a claim number and note the time and date of your call and if possible the person you spoke with on the phone. Keep track of every conversation and keep notes.
Do not sign any documents that say 'release' - Do not sign any releases on your claim. Depending on your state statutes, you may have several years to report a claim for damages.
If you feel you have been underpaid on your claim contact a Lawyer, your insurance commissioner, or even a public adjuster if your state allows that specializes in first party contract claims. Insurance companies are in business because they take in more then they pay out, and the first pass of reimbursement for damages may not amount to what you are due under the policy for final damages as a result of your loss
If you receive a check, go ahead and cash it, but do not sign any releases on your claim. Many people believe that if they find future damages attributable to the storm that they will not be able to recover more money if they have already received a check- not true, as long as you do not release any of your rights. If in doubt contact an Attorney
About the Author:
Do you have hurricane damage call Attorney Chris Lim at (800) 979-1937 or visit the website find out more about your hurricane insurance claim You can also contact AIM Law Group for help with Hurricane claims. Laws vary by state please consult a local attorney.
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