How to File an Insurance Claim After a Hurricane
The challenge to filing an insurance claim is not so much the paperwork as it is the circumstances under which you will file. After a hurricane, you are in shock, and your first priority is ensuring the safety and perhaps whereabouts of your loved ones. But don't put off filing that insurance claim, or you could face a much longer wait for remuneration.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Challenging
Instructions
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1
Call your insurance agent the minute you've made sure your family is OK. If your house has been fully or partially destroyed, this is the first call you must make after you've ensured everyone's safety. Most insurance agents have 800 numbers. This is helpful in case your phone line is down, or if you've misplaced the regular number. You can always call the 800 operator for information, either from a friend's phone that is working, a pay phone or your cell phone (if you can get a signal, and you may not for several days).
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2
Make sure you have your photographs of what the house looked like before Ike or another hurricane hit it. This step is actually interchangeable with Step 1: both are equally important! If you didn't know or just never bothered to take photos, that's unfortunate. Pictures of what your bedroom and breakfast nook looked like prior to being blown out to the Gulf would speed the process and perhaps result in more money for you. For future reference, make sure your photographs are stored off-site in a safe location, such as in your safety deposit box at the bank. Then--and even if you don't have "before" pictures--take pictures of what the house looked like right after the hurricane hit. It won't be long before the cleanup starts, and you want to document everything that happened to your home.
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3
Know where to find your policy records or possibly the duplicate of those records in case your primary source/location was blown out during the hurricane. If you have complicated tax issues surrounding the purchase of your house, for example, your Certified Public Accountant may also have a copy of your homeowners' policy.
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4
Understand what you need to include in the claim. Sometimes a CPA will be able to assist you. If you do not have a CPA or an additional professional involved, simply go to your insurance agent and discuss the matter with her.
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5
Realize what you'll be getting. If you need to relocate for any period of time, those checks should be coming to you fairly soon. However, the cost of rebuilding your home is a slower process. Also, you will likely not get those checks directly, as they would go to a building contractor, though you should ask the insurance agent for more specifics. In some cases, you may be able to rebuild at a different location. Ask your insurance agent for more information on that, too.
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Tips & Warnings
Realize that if there is a long wait, you still have to push your way through to get to your insurance agent. Depending on where the agent is located, the wait could be somewhat longer if they, too, are dealing with the effects of the storm.
Don't assume the check will be in the mail right away. Have enough money set aside not only for a "rainy" day, but for a hurricane.
After a hurricane, don't assume you can drink your water until the local authorities have given it the green light.
