3 SURPRISING FACTS ABOUT HURRICANE CLAIMS

1. The adjuster who shows up to inspect your home may not be licensed and may not have any prior experience. 

   A Hurricane like Ian will result in a lot more claims than there are qualified adjusters to handle them. To bridge this gap the state will typically issue emergency licenses which can be assigned to practically anyone with a pulse. While this works out great if you’re looking to try out a new career, it's not ideal for the homeowner’s disaster recovery. 

    

2. Even though you may not have flood insurance, there is still a chance that the majority of your damage should be covered by your policy. 

   A hurricane often goes hand in hand with flooding. So it's important to distinguish between damage resulting from the storm and damage from the rising water. To over-simplify a bit, a case can be made for coverage of damage above the flood waters under most homeowner’s policies.

    

3. It may take over a month for your adjuster to arrive for their first inspection, so you should thoroughly document your damages.

   This really piggybacks on the last point. With water involved, materials start deteriorating fast so, assuming it is safe for you to do so, taking photos and videos of everything is crucial, Your insurance company isn't likely to make any assumptions in your favor when accounting for your damages so be thorough. 

If you find yourself thrown into the messy process of disaster recovery, we are sincerely sorry for what you're going through and we want to make sure you receive the help that you need. So if you haven't yet, try Tugboat today, and let us help you organize and present your information to your insurance company in a way that helps you receive the settlement you deserve.