Besides a spontaneous pipe burst and the like, living in the state of Florida as we all know means hurricane season for roughly half the year, every year. Florida homeowners are therefore subject to an incredible potential for property damage constantly which often inevitably leads to opening an insurance claim at some point or another. Here are some useful, albeit obvious things you as a homeowner can do to simplify the process and reduce your own headache in the future:
Stay organized. You may be able to get away with not writing down your child’s soccer game address, but picking up the pieces to successfully pursue an insurance claim is not so easy as a google search usually. Take the time to create a folder either physically or electronically that maintains a chronological set of information about the character and condition of your home. This often starts with a copy of the pre purchase inspection report that was likely created and provided to you before closing on the sale of your property from the prior owners. But it also means keeping track of every time you get a sink fixed, electrical maintenance performed, and especially any time structural work is done whether it is a renovation, repair, or replacement. In light of the new laws that have gone into effect within the last year, you should also know the age of your roof and its expected life before any repair or replacement is necessary.
Read everything and ask questions. Whether it is the insurance policy maintained with your carrier, or the contract signed with a contractor, read everything. The policies that indemnify your property from damage are also written to limit the liability your carrier has to pay for any damages incurred. Take the time to go through the whole document, but especially your policy limits, and specific coverage waivers such as mold/fungi exclusions and ordinance and law exclusions. The agreements reduced to writing between you and any contractor will have a number of provisions and it is important to know what those mean for you such as directions to pay or assignment of benefits. When in doubt ask questions. Ask questions of your local agent, your carrier, your contractor, and certainly your attorney. Our office maintains a contact page where you can submit inquiries 24/7.
Use professionals. It is tempting to just buy the bucket of paint or patching kit of shingle at the hardware store to just complete repairs on your own. This reduces the cost to maintain your home and can often be done quicker than calling a professional. But trust me when I say you will be glad you called a professional whilst mid adjustment or litigation of an insurance claim. Using a professional for repairs means you can rely on their expertise to say the repair was done correctly and sufficiently. Take the extra time to call somebody to inspect that yellow spot on your ceiling before painting over it, and let a roofer or other licensed professional take a look at the breakage on your roof so you do not get accused of “foot traffic” in a letter denying coverage [oh yes, that is a thing.]
Be prompt and compliant. So much of the claims process rests on procedure. If you do not let your carrier know of the damage as soon as you do, you risk no coverage of your claim off a late reporting issue. If you refuse to let an adjuster take a recorded statement or have access to inspect your property, you run the same risk of coverage denial. Allow the insurance company to make their assessment and when you do not know how or if you should answer a question, defer to an attorney.
So many problems or anxieties you encounter in an insurance claim setting can be addressed if you make the above suggestions a priority. But while these are ways you can help yourself, we are here to help. Give our office a call at (407) 478-4878 or submit an inquiry online.
Bryce J. Uy, Esq.
