How to File a Roof Insurance Claim
What happens when your roof is damaged by a storm? Do you know what to do next? The good news is that there are some steps you can take to file an insurance claim. Check out this blog post for more information on how to get started with the process.
Keep A Copy Of Your Insurance Policy
Determine if your home or vehicle is insured for the type of damage that has occurred. If so, you can take steps to file a claim by contacting your agent or company representative.
Call An Insurance Adjuster
You will usually need to call the insurance company and ask them to send out an adjuster to assess the damages. Take pictures of any damages before the adjuster arrives. This ensures that it gets on his or her list of things to see while coming out to inspect the property. Once they have seen everything with their own eyes, they should be able to provide you with a specific claim number and give instructions about how long a wait you might have until receiving compensation for damaged property caused by whatever storm event hit your area.
Provide Documentation
Ask your insurance company for a detailed list of things they need to repair the damages. If you sign or agree on any documents without understanding them, then anyone can take advantage of you by forcing you to do repairs that are not necessary. It may be best to ask a trusted individual or family member if they would accompany you when speaking with an adjuster from your insurance company. Ask if it will be better to file a claim with multiple companies at one time just in case there is ever an issue and some negative wording is used in their report as a result of going for compensation with more than one entity at once. This way, they will have no choice but to give credit where credit is due and all repairs should be approved in a timely manner.
Know The Liability Limits Of Your Insurance Policy
Some insurance companies are strict about how much money they will allow for materials when filing a claim after being hit with damage from a natural disaster or weather event. Check first so that you do not file too early if you think you might hit this limit on your policy, but also check to make sure that the amount is adequate to cover all repairs that need to be made. If there are any issues with some of the clauses in your policy, then another company may be able to offer you better coverage for less money and have it retroactive back further than the amount offered by your current provider. It never hurts to ask for quotes from other agencies as well before deciding on a new policy.
Take Pictures
Take pictures of everything, from the roof to the inside of your home or business if there is any water damage that has occurred. Small cracks in walls may lead to major structural issues later on with mold and mildew growth, so have it documented for repairs later. In addition, photos are also great in circumstances where someone else files a claim against you without permission or consents after your property suffers from damages done by another party. A picture speaks volumes as evidence towards why you should receive compensation for personal injury protection claims due to being hit by another individual’s negligent actions while driving recklessly or causing an accident directly related to their breaking traffic laws in place at that time.
File A Small Claims Court Case
While there are many benefits to filing a claim with your insurance company, you will find that even they have limitations as far as what it can do for you. If the adjuster denies your claims or tries to low ball you on what should be covered for repairs for damages due to storm damage, then it might be time to file a small claims court case against them and go after them legally. Ask an attorney if this is an option before filing such a claim without having all of the facts straight about how much coverage you have and if there are any loopholes in their policy wording where they could try to get out of paying for the full amount of compensation that has been unfairly denied by their firm. File first and ask questions later so that you don’t have to worry about them trying to blow you off or avoid dealing with you at all.
Contact Your Local Government
If you are not satisfied by the amount of compensation offered to you, then contact your city council and file a report against the insurance company if they are not willing to do what is necessary on your claim for reimbursement. You will find that there may be other options available to help those who were hit hard financially as a result of storms or natural disasters taking place in their community. This may also include going after FEMA for financial aid if their policies allow it and filling out paperwork so that the federal agency can get involved in resolving this issue once they receive word from concerned residents like yourself who have been affected by these disasters.
Take Pictures
Take pictures of everything, from the roof to the inside of your home or business if there is any water damage that has occurred. Small cracks in walls may lead to major structural issues later on with mold and mildew growth, so have it documented for repairs later. In addition, photos are also great in circumstances where someone else files a claim against you without permission or consents after your property suffers from damages done by another party. A picture speaks volumes as evidence towards why you should receive compensation for personal injury protection claims due to being hit by another individual’s negligent actions while driving recklessly or causing an accident directly related to their breaking traffic laws in place at that time.
