Maybe a hurricane, tropical storm, or harsh rains and wind ripped across your property, destroying everything in sight. After you discover that your home and residential property are damaged, you have a responsibility to report it to your homeowner’s insurance company. However, this is not the only responsibility that you have following your Texas residential disaster.
One huge task that only you can do is proving the communication between you and the insurance company. Unfortunately, letters get lost in the mail, claims get reassigned to different insurance adjusters, conversations are forgotten, and you have something to lose when this happens. This is why it is important to do the following after any type of residential property damage:
Create a communication log. Having a communications diary or journal allows you to log every time you speak with your insurance company. You need to log each phone conversation, the date, time and whom you spoke with. Also, include a summary of the conversation that took place. This will help you recall each conversation if something were to go wrong or if your case were transferred to another representative. You should also record all emails and letters – those sent and received.
Keep copies of everything. Getting organized will help you find a place to store copies of everything you send and receive. You should make a copy of every letter you send to your insurance company and print out all emails. The same goes for any correspondence you receive from your insurance company. Keep everything. You can do this by getting a binder and categorizing your communications into different sections or by getting an accordion folder and filing copies of everything into different categories.
Survivors of disasters have also recommended that those going through the residential insurance claim process should also send three copies of any letter or correspondence to the insurance adjuster, the adjuster’s boss and your insurance agent. Then, you should keep the original letter for yourself, document any correspondence you receive in your communication log, and file emails and letters in your filing system you created.
Also, when verbally communicating with your insurance adjuster, it is always a good idea to follow up each conversation with a letter or email restating what was said in the conversation. This way there is a written trail of your conversations, restating your understanding of what took place during the conversation.
If the insurance company is low-balling you and acting in bad faith, you should speak with an experienced Texas insurance claim attorney regarding your residential insurance claim. The Voss Law Firm can help answer your questions in a free legal consultation at 888-614-7730 today. You will also receive our FREE book, Disputes With Your Insurance Company – What All Consumers Need to Know, which will tell you more about your rights to receiving fair compensation.
