As reports of storm damage from Hurricane Sandy continue to roll in, experts predict that tens of thousands of people will file claims for flooding, and hundreds of thousands of people will file claims for wind or tree damage from the storm. If your home has been affected by Hurricane Sandy, what do you need to do?
Document Your Damage
One of the most important things to do if your home has been impacted by Hurricane Sandy is to document your damage thoroughly. Write a detailed description of what has been damaged, and how the damage occurred. Take pictures - particularly if you’ve got tree damage, it’s important to take pictures before you remove the tree.
Check Your Insurance Policy
The biggest issue that homeowners are going to run into during the post-Sandy cleanup and recovery is that some things may not be covered by the insurance policy. If you haven’t already done so, read your insurance policy thoroughly to make sure your damage is covered. Many standard homeowners insurance policies will cover damage from a fallen tree, but flooding may not be covered by a standard policy.
File a Claim
Once you’ve got your damage thoroughly documented and you’ve confirmed that it’s covered by your insurance policy, it’s time to file a claim. Insurers are going to be inundated by claims in the coming weeks, but many of the big insurers have mobilized extra help for their claims processing departments.
Your big risks after filing a claim are that the insurer won’t value your claim at a high enough cost to cover the damage, or that your claim may be denied. We’ll be writing articles in the coming days about what to do if your claim is denied, and what to do if the claim value comes in too low - so hang in there. If you have problems with your claim in the meantime, visit DeniedClaim.com or give us a call for help.
