Steps
- Call multiple companies to shop rates.
- Find a reputable company to insure your dwelling with adaquate coverage for your contents.
- Make a home inventory, although not required by an insurance company it is a good idea. To protect you, not the insurance company, often your agent will have a pamphlet with a home inventory form inside to make it easier. Still don't think you need an inventory? Stop think about a drawer in your bedroom write down everything that is in the drawer with out looking at it. now go look at the drawer. Chances are you forgot more than half of the stuff in the drawer. if you have a significant loss you will not be able to go to the drawer to check what was damaged because there will be no drawer.
- If your home does get damaged during a hurricane, make sure to report it to your insurance company as soon as possible. In a catastrophic situation, claims are handled in a triage system usually depending on the size of the overall loss. Make sure when making a claim to be as specific as possible and leave out the maybes. Also remember not to contradict your self you are most likely being recorded and if not what you say will be well documented.
- Having a disposable camera is a good way to document damage.
Tips
- Most renters and Homeowners policies have hurricane coverage as part of the policy if you are in a coastal state. If you do not have a renters or a homeowners policy then most likely you do not have hurricane coverage. Check with your local agent to find out if your policy has coverage for hurricanes and or wind.
- A common problem after water damage is that water is not dried out from the home, causing mildew. Mildew is covered by most insurance companies but is limited, from state to state mold laws are different check with your agent. Most mold claims can be covered as a result of hurricane damage. The term is Proximate cause as long as the mold is a result of a covered peril you should have no problems getting that covered. However if you did not clean up the mess and attempt to dry out the water in a timely manner they may possibly deny the claim.
- Some policies do not cover wind driven rain, check with your agent to find out if wind driven rain is covered.
- Use ambest www.ambest.com to find out your companies rating with am best they rate all major insurance carriers based on their financial stability (how much money they have in relation to how many homes they insure) you want an a rated company. if the company is not rated in AM Best check demotech www.demotech.com often companies are rated in both, but AM Best is a better rating to have.
Warnings
- If you want to be compensated for damages and you don't have proof of how a hurricane damaged your home and your stuff, you won't get reimbursed.
- If you have a homeowners policy with a company, it is always good every year to go over your coverage amounts and make sure it adequately covers your home. Because if your home is under-insured, the compensation will be based off a precentage of what you had the home insured for(example: if you had the home insured for 80% of its value you will be compensated for 80% of your losses)
- Acts Of God (ie Hurricanes, Tornadoes, etc.) for most insurance companies are not held against the customer.
- Insurance companies may not always be willing to insure you due to prior claims or your rating territory.
- Insurance is not a lottery ticket, the purpose of insurance is to put you back to the condition you were at before the loss occurred.
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