How to Speed Up Insurance Claim

If a natural disaster has damaged your home, you will juggle several issues all at once. Securing the property. Cleaning up the mess. Deciding what to throw out, what can be fixed.

You will certainly be filing an insurance claim. This will mean getting repair estimates for the damaged parts of your home.
What will my property insurance cover? The insurance adjuster who showed up seemed courteous and businesslike. But will they fight me on the cost of repair like my car insurance company did when I had an accident last year?

Therefore, the last thing you need to worry about is how fast the homeowner’s insurance company will handle your claim. But there are steps you can take to speed up your property damage insurance claim.

Before the Storm

A simple step people can take before any storm is to inventory their personal property. We are not talking about the number of forks and knives in the kitchen. Rather, make a list of expensive jewelry, artwork and antiques. The list could include the date of purchase and purchase price (receipts are better).

Additionally, this applies to high-end televisions, stereo equipment, computers/laptops, etc. Indeed, a fire or severe storm could destroy all those items. Furthermore, they could be thrown away before the insurance company’s claims adjuster comes to inspect the damaged property. Consequently, if you have proof that you purchased these items and at what price, the claims process will certainly go smoother.
Likewise, keep your property inventory up to date. Periodically, add any significant purchases to the list.

After the Storm

It is important that you take pictures/videos of your damaged property as soon as possible. Depending on what happened, workers may remove damaged items as unsalvageable. However, it will certainly speed up your home insurance claim if you have photographic proof of the damage. Additionally, you will want pictures of the damage before any repairs begin.

Review Your Insurance Policy

If you have not done so already, get your insurance policy and read it. It will help you understand what your insurance covers and what it does not. Moreover, you will see what limits there are for particular claims. Lastly, it will allow speaking confidently with the adjuster and insurance company representative after you file a claim.

Do not hesitate to call your agent if you have questions about your insurance coverage. After all, they sold you the policy. they will know what is covered and what is not.

Limit Further Damage-Protect Your Property

Your insurance carrier will pay your claim for the damages the storm caused to your home. This includes the cost of repairing your home. However, they will not pay for any damages that occurred after the storm because you left a hole in the roof uncovered for a week. Therefore, put tarps over holes in the roof or broken windows.

Be There When the Adjuster Shows Up

The insurance company will send an insurance adjuster to inspect the property. Be there. You can direct him to the damaged areas. You can show him the water damage the storm caused in a corner of the basement that is not well-lit.

Similarly, you can answer questions he may have about the storm and your home. You may have pictures of your living and dining rooms, with their contents, before the storm damaged them.

Provide him with as much information as you can to support your claim. Remember, the insurance company and its adjuster are not your enemies. But the goal of the insurance company is to pay out as little as possible to settle claims.
That is how they make money.

Keep Receipts of Additional Living Expenses

In the event you have to leave your house while the house is repaired, keep the receipts for any living expenses. Your homeowner’s policy lets you claim for living expenses you have while out of your house.

For instance, you can claim for rent or hotel charges, meals at restaurants, car rental, etc. (up to the policy limits). This will certainly help speed up your property damage insurance claim.

Complete and Submit a Proof of Loss in a Timely Manner

Collect all records you have relating to the damage to your property. Some insurance carriers only want receipts and estimates. However, some have proof of loss form that you have to submit. Accordingly, know what your carrier wants and get the proof of loss in.
The sooner you get the proof of loss in, the sooner the claims process will be completed.

Get a Second Opinion

Remember, you do not have to accept the insurance company’s settlement offer. If you feel it is too low, get a contractor to review the damage and give you an estimate.

Or you can get a public adjuster to inspect the damage and give you an estimate. Furthermore, he can negotiate with your carrier to get a better settlement offer. A public adjuster knows what information is important to the insurance company. He will make sure the insurance company gets the information they want in the claims process.

This will give you the best chance of receiving a favorable settlement offer from your insurer.

If You Want to Speed Up Insurance Claim, Call AllCity Adjusting

We are a family-owned claims company with five decades of combined adjusting experience. As a result, if there’s one thing we understand, it’s that you need 100% of your claim value.

Insurance companies undervalue your claim 8 out of 10 times. Moreover, they hire expensive adjusters to ensure they maintain a strong profit margin. Additionally, they have experienced actuaries that create insurance agency guidelines that help their team of agents to challenge your insurance claim’s validity.

We understand that you have already gone through a tumultuous event. For this reason, get an agency that gets you more.
At AllCity Adjusting we work to ensure you get 100% of your claim value. Equally important, with over 50 years of combined adjusting experience, we know insurance companies. Furthermore, we understand where they cut corners.

Moreover, we help you build a larger claim and maximize your claim value. In short, we get you back to normal fast. Don’t get fooled, get the company that gets you more.