Oh my! What a mess a pipe or appliance leak can create… Imagine you come home and find your dishwasher supply line has busted! Now the water has run throughout your entire home. Like most people, you instinctively run for the mop and bucket to immediately begin cleaning up. But then you realize this is worse than you thought!
Water is one of the major causes of loss when it comes to an insurance claim. It’s also a time when homeowners look quickly to their insurance carrier for help and money for repairs. (Storm damage to a roof is also prevalent due to the multiple storms we have each year.) But did you know that how or when the water was discovered, or what you do immediately following the discovery, can affect how your insurance company will determine coverage? Often little missteps by a homeowner can cause delays and/or reduce the amount of money being paid out for damages. Additionally, insurance companies put the burden of proof on the homeowner, and this can be stressful when you are trying to put your home back in order. A homeowner can receive a denial of coverage based on a statement or a date they are providing without even knowing the insurance company is just looking for a way to get out of coverage. Yikes! What do you do? These are just some of the problems a homeowner can face when filing a water damage claim or even a roof claim. But there is help available to a homeowner that will make the process less stressful and money for repairs more available.
A proven benefit to the homeowner is to hire a Public Adjuster when water damage or a storm loss is first discovered by the homeowner. Public Adjusters, often referred to as a “PA”, works for the homeowner. The PA is working on getting the homeowner the correct amount of money for the proper repairs based on the type of loss and damage(s) incurred.
The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) in 2010 states Homeowners who submitted claims on their own received an average of $2,029 vs. an average of $17, 187 when represented by a public adjuster. When using a public adjusting service, homeowners saw an average increase of 747% in their homeowner’s insurance payout.
While the insurance company may look at your water damage as means to determine your loss at a lower dollar amount, a PA looks at all the mitigation and repair processes that will bring your home back to a pre-loss condition. The result a PA gets is more money for your repairs.
Another proven benefit to hiring a Public Adjuster is when a homeowner has received a denial letter from the carrier or has been underpaid for repairs. In many states, a PA can sort through the letters, photos, and claim details, then reapproach the insurance carrier within a certain amount of time to get a better result for the homeowner. This is the power of the Public Adjuster, knowing how your policy is written and the market value of your actual repairs.
Coastal Claims Services works for the insured, not the insurance company, and offers residential and commercial services in multiple states. We have licensed property loss specialists and can help you get the best results from your claim. Our professional public adjusters will be by your side throughout every step of the claims process.
This blog is not intended to be professional advice, and all services are not available in every state. We follow all state guidelines. Contact Coastal Claims for more information on our services: 1-844-2File-Now.