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How to Make the Best of a Super Storm Sandy Insurance Claim
Mistakes to Avoid When Filing an Insurance Claim for Hurricane Sandy
Any homeowner who was affected by Hurricane Sandy, will tell you that they wish they had video footage to prove what they had, and what it looked like, before the hurricane hit their home. It’s impossible to remember everything, and especially small details, when you are going through a traumatic event.
What To Do Before Disasters Occur:
1. Take photos of your property and your home in every room, before you have any damage. Be able to show the how the property looked before anything happens. This can be still photos, video, or both.
2. Get the pictures developed, and/or store the video in a safety deposit box, a fire-proof safe or other place that will remain protected. With Hurricane Sandy, entire walls were knocked down from homes and buried in the sand, and homes lifted and moved. Don’t count on being able to find small metal boxes or small safes after a major disaster has occurred. Store it in a safe place, away from your home. Log on to our free software Vault Box link that can help you: https://www.advocateclaims.com/vaultbox
What To Do After Hurricane or Flood Damage Occurs:
1. Take photos of the damage before you touch anything, move anything, or clean up anything. This is the proof of the damage. You will need this as “evidence”, so be sure not to throw anything away. Even if it’s an eye-sore, don’t remove the damage until you get your adjuster’s estimate of damages. Wait as long as you can.
2. Only make temporary emergency repairs, such as boarding up broken windows, removing water from your floors, or adding protective cover over your roof. Don’t start major renovation projects until the damage has been totally assessed and thoroughly documented and you have a full and complete settlement.
3. Keep samples or small pieces of the carpet and flooring as proof of the quality of the material. If you have to throw away carpets or flooring, be sure to cut samples from them before they are thrown out.
4. Don’t expect your claim to be fully settled in a few days, or even after a few weeks. Keep a log book with dates and times of anyone you talked to, from your insurance company, or others. By choosing to hire Advocate Claims as your insurance adjuster, you can know that they will take care of all of the correspondence for you, as well as the negotiations. By hiring a private claims adjuster, you are selecting a representative on your behalf, rather than trusting whatever the insurance company says. Experienced policy-holders know that this means less work for them, but more money from their insurance claim settlement!
5. Don’t rush the process, and take your time. If your insurance representative only stayed 30 minutes to an hour and made a small sheet of notes before he left your home, I would advise you to ask for a second opinion. After you see the short list of their “approved repairs”, if you think things are missing, then call Advocate Claims to have it reviewed. Don’t leave your entire home in the hands of one person’s opinion. Call and get a free second opinion of your insurance claim before you settle on a low number that won’t repair all the damages.
Advocate Claims will demand that you get what you are entitled to. Don’t settle for less!
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