Four Storm and Hail Damage Claim Tips
You can generally expect spring and summer to bring about periodic storms with high winds, hail, flooding, lightning, and thunder. If you are unfortunate enough to experience property damage from storm or hail activity, it helps to know what to do next to get back to everyday life faster. Most of the time, it is evident that your property requires repairs after considerable wind or hail storms. Torn or missing shingles, dented or scarred siding, cracked or shattered windows, and broken gutter spouts are some of the damages you may discover on your property after being battered with hundreds of hailstones. Our public insurance claims adjuster in Polk County recommends these tips for managing your storm and hail damage claims:
Call your insurance company and a reliable contractor
It is often overwhelming and frustrating when your property suffers considerable damage from a storm, but it is not the time for panic or inaction. Instead, contact your insurer immediately to get the claims process started. Then reach out to a reliable, local contractor to estimate the damages to your property. When a storm impacts a large area, making these calls early is essential because contractors and insurers are usually first-come-first-served service providers.
Keep the facts straight
It is crucial to document the full extent of the damages entirely. Always photograph hailstones beside a ruler or other familiar product to show the size of the hail in the storm. Always take down the time and date that property damage happened. Snap plenty of picture or video evidence of property damage to the interior and exterior of your home and any of the surrounding property. Focus on loss evidence, like dented siding or torn shingles. Then inspect outside elements, like roofs, siding, windows, gutters, doors, and fences. Finally, examine household systems, like your HVAC system, for possible damage.
Meet your adjuster and contractor
Make arrangements to meet with your insurance adjuster and local contractor face to face. This is a critical meeting so you and the contractor can bring up specific issues to the insurance adjuster when they visit to assess your property. Do not discard any damaged property until after the adjuster visits so you can ensure reimbursement for the damages. The insurance adjuster will record any property damage and inform you of everything they need you to do during the claims process to keep things moving.
Negotiate with the insurance company
You do not have to accept the first check or offer that your insurance company makes to you, especially if it represents a failure in recognizing the level of damage to your property. Your insurer always hopes you will accept the first offer they make you without question so they can pay you the smallest settlement possible within the limits of your policy. Do not deposit an insurance company check until you have reached an acceptable agreement with your carrier. Doing so may lead to them closing the
claim without any options to dispute them.
Follow these tips to manage your storm or hail damage claims. Then, contact us today for assistance from a public insurance claims adjuster in Polk County. We are here to help you get the settlement you are entitled to.
