Duties After A Loss

When you as a homeowner signs a contract with the insurance company the insurance carrier is obligated to keep their side of the contract and pay out for the damages covered under your policy. What most people don’t know is that the homeowner is also obligated to uphold their side of the contract too.

Here are a few of the Duties After Loss that homeowners need to do in order to ensure that the insurance carrier has no excuse to underpay or deny the claim.

Give prompt notice.

One of the most common reasons we see for claims being denied is because the insurance carrier was not given prompt notice. The statute of limitation to file a claim is 3 years, but this doesn’t mean that you should wait until the last minute, on the contrary the quicker you notify the carrier the faster your claim should get paid out. If you are not sure whether or not you should file an insurance claim then call a Public adjuster to assist and advise you on the ins and outs of filing an insurance claim, that is what we are here for.

Protect the property from further damage.

You as the insured has the responsibility to protect the property from any further damage. For example: A water damage claim. Make sure you get a plumber out as soon as possible to fix the issue. While you are waiting for the plumber to come out to fix the issue turn off the water or stop using the Faucet or shower that is leaking.  For a Hurricane damage claim or roof damage claim you can do a simple repair or tarp the roof. Almost every policy has provisions for emergency mitigation I.E have an emergency restoration company come out and tarp your roof or start drying out the property so you minimize any further issues to the property. Its is so important for you to use a reputable company as they can also make or break your case by how its documented.

Cooperate with the insurance carrier.

The insurance carrier has the right to be able to inspect the property and any subsequent damages you are claiming. It’s important that you let them inspect the property as they can’t open coverage until they do. When you incur damage to your home make sure to keep all repair invoices handy as your insurance company will request them, and being able to provide these documents can really make the difference between getting paid out and your claim being denied. Additionally, pictures are going to be able to speak a thousand words.

Submit a recorded statement.

This is something that usually happens in most claims that are late in reporting. Your carrier will want to take a recorded statement and ask you questions pertaining to your claim. The recorded statement is mainly a formality and nothing to be afraid of.

Send in a Proof of Loss.

A proof of loss is something that all insurance carriers demand before settling a claim. When you file a homeowner’s insurance claim, they will send out an adjuster to assess the damages and write up an estimate for the repairs. A proof of loss is a document stating that you agree with the amount of damages that your insurance carrier is valuing your claim at. Needless to say, you should never sign a proof of loss unless you are happy with the final number written on it as they may try to use it against you at a later stage when you go back and ask for a supplement because the claim was underpaid. As public adjusters we have almost never come across a claim that was paid in full the first time round.

If you or anyone you know has filed an insurance claim in the past three years or is going through the claims process now. A Lincoln Public Adjuster can help you recover the full amount that you deserve. REMEMBER – DON’T SETTLE FOR LESS!