If you’ve received property damage of any kind, we understand that the entire experience can be frustrating and overwhelming. Many people don’t want to add to that the stress of doing combat with professional insurance agents that have been specifically trained to defer and decrease compensation on policies. That’s why we’re here—to do the battling for you. We’ll be the fighter in the ring and you, the coach. We want to advise you. Are you debating on filing a damage claim? If you’re filing ANY kind of damage claim with your insurance company, time is of the essence. Do it quickly and save yourself the headaches of a late-reported claim.
Water Damage Claims
If you’re filing any kind of water damage claim on your property, it’s extremely important that you report it as you notice it happening, along with the proper cause of the damage. Why does a few days make all of the difference? With water damage, there are many different ways it can happen. This includes bad insulation, leaky roofs, burst pipes and, finally, flooding. Each insurance policy covers things differently, and insurance company claims adjusters are experienced at muddling the actual cause of the water damage, and making it look uncertain.
If your property was damaged by rain and you wait a week to report it and file a claim, insurance companies will find any way to take that water damage and speculate that it could be attributed to a number of things instead of the cause you specify. Policies may offer far less compensation for a burst pipe or a faulty sump pump versus a basement overcome by a storm flood. Insurance companies will do what they have to, in order to save money. So, when water damage happens, report it immediately. Take pictures, get as much proof as possible and then hire an independent claims adjuster.
Property Damage Claims
These are another problem that need to be reported immediately. If you’ve been a victim of vandalism, it’s important that you immediately file a police report and take a lot of pictures through whatever means possible. If you wait too long, or don’t file a police report, insurance companies will see that as a dubious claim. If you don’t properly report the property damage, it’s anyone’s guess as to where that damage came from—you could’ve done it yourself. It sounds ridiculous, but insurance company claims adjusters do what they need to, in order to stay employed.
Fire and Smoke Damage Claims
This is another very tricky claim to make. Fire damage is often contested as it can be difficult to pinpoint the cause or source of a fire. It could be faulty electricity, a kitchen fire or even fire caused by the negligence of a property’s occupant. When you’re filing a claim for fire, you want your property looked at by a professional within 24-48 hours of the initial fire. Once you’ve filed a proper incident report with your local fire department or county, depending on your local laws, you need to hire an independent public claims adjuster so that your case isn’t pointed right back in your direction.
Don’t Hesitate – File!
Claims adjusters at insurance companies are sure to take advantage of a late claim report, regardless of how loyal of a policyholder you’ve been to their company. Report your incident immediately, get proper documentation and take lots of pictures. After all of that, contact us before filing anything; we’re open for calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1.800.410.5054 and we’ll help you during the fight that will probably ensue after you file your claim. We have some of the most reliable independent public adjusters for Ocean County, NJ and all of the surrounding NJ and PA regions.
