8 steps to help your hurricane claim paid quickly

I had from Hurricane Sandy trees and water damage. What can I expect from my homeowners coverage, what advice you can give me to get my insurance claim paid?

After any hurricane, there are a lot of questions about what is and it is not homeowners insurance. In general, wind-driven rain and water entering your home through the roof, windows, doors or holes in the walls of the insured homeowners. However, the water from the bottom up – such as water or damage to the body caused by storm surge flooding – are not covered. You need a separate flood insurance (see National Flood Insurance Program Web site for more information). See also draws on flood and storm season preparation and flood coverage.

For covering tree damage may be tricky. If the tree damage your house, your home insurance usually pays fixed to structural damage. But most tree removal policy to pay only about $ 500 to $ 1,000 (if the tree falls, but did not hit anywhere may pay any fees). You see a tree falls in details of your neighbor’s yard, covering about tree damage.

Because of damage from Hurricane Sandy is widespread, because coverage is not simple, it moves that can help you in the front of the line, the claims process running smoothly is very important. Hurricane Katrina six weeks after I visited New Orleans and Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, and the steps for them in the first few days and weeks, to get paid at their request to make a big difference to take a lot of room the main conversation. The following is what they recommend – and some resources have been because of Hurricane Katrina, in 2005 (even as Hurricane Irene last year) improved

1. Get the ball rolling. immediately contact your insurance agent, who may be able to claim with the insurance company. Or your insurance company’s claims department directly – Insurance Information Institute of useful telephone numbers compiled a list of the insurance claim application. Call now, even if you are not able to catalog all the damage it. After Hurricane Katrina victims suggested that I keep in touch nitial contact with the insurance companies and agents by e-mail, it gives youYou, documentation if you end up having to make any payment of compensation issues taken steps. Make every phone and e-mail communications must be recorded in the insurance company’s entire claims process.

2. Basic maintenance time. your insurance company will not want you to make any big changes until you are satisfied with the adjustment, but it will want you to do basic repairs, as soon as possible – such as the tarp on the roof has been destroyed or covered with broken windows – such a loss does not get any worse. Take pictures of the damage before you make a temporary change, so the insurance company can see the house looks like after the storm. And keep the receipt of your material spend money, it can be reimbursed Y our insurance company.

3. Compile a list. This step is the easiest, if you already have a home inventory, you save in a safe place before the hurricane. You can give it to the adjustment, who will be able to immediately see what they are missing items. Also require insurance companies to form any immediate need, you must file so you can immediately start to fill out and keep track of any additional documents. If you do not have inventory, you can now start to piece together a together. Insurance Information Institute know your stuff guide you through the home room of the room, it may be jog your memory a good way. If your files and photos are not destroyed, you can also record your valuables or to see any receipts, show the property before your photos and your home hurricane. Then take a picture or video of the damage, as long as you can get back into your home, the insurance company can see the difference. Do not throw away any damaged items until the adjuster visit your home. Many insurance companies now have an application that makes it easy to send your insurance company’s inventory and submit claims.

Also obtained starting from the bidding contractors to show how much it costs to repair damage they say, but do not “regressed make any commitments until you have the approval from the insurance company (and beware of who has access to the affected townships rogue contractor, ask for money upfront and then disappear). after a review of claims of the Insurance information Institute of disaster Guide, for more information on how to compile ÿ our inventory, and determine how much you can get from the insurance company. factor. see III prompt claims from Hurricane Sandy filing insurance.

4. The face to face, and face regulation. master regulator of insurance companies can be challenging appointment after a catastrophe; some people have to wait a few weeks after Hurricane Katrina. However, regardless of the arrival of adjustment, try to have someone to make an appointment – even if you live somewhere else until your home is repaired – so you can walk through the house together, you can help explain what damaged. It can even help you have undertaken in a meeting so everyone can see the same view of the damage. Update your insurance company, the first

5 If you are a new issue of the contractor’s work. Reservation fee receipts, and you evacuate. If you can not live for a while in your house because of damage, your insurance company may pay for living expenses, such as hotel rooms and meals, the daily limit. Insurance companies may even give you some money early – before you fully resolve the claim – in order to help pay for the cost of your right after the disaster of the

6. Make a detailed record of each repair. When you start to get the go-ahead from the insurance company to obtain a fixed house, a detailed record of each repair. A homeowner in New Orleans I talked to them for payment in just two weeks – and many of his neighbors waiting for their money – and one by one about 50, organized a tabbed binder xpense every message, including receipts, canceled the check, made detailed description of each repair, and steps to reduce the damage taken, and he incurred while he evacuated the cost of living.

7. Get help with the claim. If you have any trouble paying your claim, your insurance company to find out how to file a claim with the program. You can also help from your state insurance department. Each state insurance department has a free service to help you through the claims process, and make sure you let your big disaster after enjoyed everything under your policy, and the establishment of a number of fast-track appeals process. Contact See Map National Association of Insurance Commissioners is. See how to get the insurance company to pay your claims mo re information about getting help from the national regulatory authorities.

If you still have trouble with you through the process after your insurance company paid the insurance sector and national requirements, then it can help to contact a public adjusted to provide a second opinion. (You can find via public securityInsurance adjusters approved the National Association of Public adjustment). These adjustments are charged a percentage (usually 10% to the amount of 15% recovery) you pay. Regulator to ensure that your state licensing.

8. Explore other options. If some damages are not included in the insurance and you live in a federal disaster area, you may be eligible for federally funded Emergency Management Agency, the Small Business Administration disaster loans (even if you do not have your own business) or tax cuts unexpected loss uninsured. Learn FEMA disaster recovery center in DisasterAssistance.gov or these benefits. Also saw the victims of Hurricane Sandy disaster information page for more information and country-specific general resources related to Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire and West Virginia are available. An information resource for victims of Hurricane Sandy constantly updated, please refer to FEMA’s Hurricane Sandy page.

For more information on hurricane insurance claims, please refer to your insurance company to pay the insured after the lessons of Katrina. For more information about future storm preparation, see Preparing your family and financial situation of Hurricane Sandy.