3 Ways to Organize a Marine Insurance Claim After Wind Damage

Although the damages may be fairly straightforward, marine insurance claims for wind damage are often complicated by the mountain of paperwork created in the process. Between the necessary assessments, estimates, investigations into causes of losses, and communication with the adjusters working on a claim, it isn’t unusual for marine policyholders to feel a little overwhelmed. If you are in the midst of working through a complicated claim for wind damages to a ship, marine equipment, or cargo, here are a few tips that can help you take control of all of that documentation, get organized, and resolve your wind-damage claim more successfully.

3 Tips for Organizing the Paperwork Associated With Marine Wind-Damage Claims

The documentation needed to resolve your windstorm claim might include photographs of damage, an investigation by the insurance team, independent estimates, and other forms of documentation—many of which involve strict time limits for filing. If you miss a time limit or overlook an important document, you can accidentally delay the resolution of your claim or wreck your chances of a full recovery. To make sure that you are keeping evidence and documentation for the claim in order, you might consider:

1. Creating a system to make sure important documents are filed and organized. As the claims process stretches over weeks or months, the documents associated with it can get lost or misfiled. By creating an organized system for handling all paperwork associated with a claim, you can avoid the delays and embarrassment of misplacing a crucial report.
2. Appointing someone in your office to handle documentation and correspondence for the claim. Because insurance claims for marine businesses can be so complicated, it can help to have someone in your office assigned to handle all the communication with the insurance company and make sure that deadlines are met and the appropriate documents are submitted and preserved.
3. Working with an attorney who has experience maximizing marine insurance claims. Sometimes, despite all your best efforts to be organized and straightforward with an insurance claim, insurance companies will refuse to play fair. If you are running into legal complications, unreturned phone calls, or disputes about the terms of a policy, getting an attorney involved can help you get results and successfully resolve a claim. 

Are you having trouble getting a fair outcome from a marine wind-damage claim? Learn more about your policyholder rights today by starting a live chat right now or requesting your free copy of our book, Your Basic Guide to Marine Insurance.