BOSTON — As Hurricane Lee inches closer to New England, now is a good time to prepare for any potential damage to your home.
Commercial claims advocate and public adjuster Vince Perri said there are certain steps homeowners can take to make sure they get what they deserve from their insurance company.
CHECK YOUR POLICY’S EXCLUSIONS
Exclusions are things not covered by your policy. Standard homeowners insurance does not cover flooding, earthquakes, termites, mold or normal wear and tear.
“You don’t want ‘hurricane exclusion,’” Perri said. “You don’t want a ‘water damage exclusion.’ You have to keep an eye out for little things like that because even if it was covered in the policy, if it is excluded then it is no longer covered.”
TAKE LOTS OF PHOTOS
If your home is damaged in a storm, Perri said you can never take too many photos and videos during and after the event.
“If you start cleaning everything up and wiping everything down [before documenting it], by the time the insurance adjuster comes, you may not get paid what you thought you deserved because they’re not seeing the extent of the damage,” Perri said.
NEVER TAKE THE FIRST OFFER
Perri said to never take the first offer. An insurance company has guidelines for the inspector when they visit your home, and Perri said they’ll often lowball the amount it’ll take to make proper repairs.
“Make sure you hire an expert — a public adjuster, contractor, somebody — to at least take a look at that estimate and let you know if you can get more. Then you can put a new estimate together and show the insurance company what you think needs to be paid.”
If that doesn’t work, Perri said you can file an appraisal.
“An appraisal in the policy specifically states if you don’t agree with the amount an insurance company has paid you, you have the right to dispute that claim,” Perri said. “There are dispute resolution processes in the insurance policy.”
PROTECT YOUR HOME FROM FURTHER DAMAGE
Document the damage, but then do what you need to do to protect your home from further weather damage. If a tree falls on your roof and creates holes, fix the problem and don’t wait for your insurance company to inspect it first.
“If something happens to your home as the result of a hurricane and the insurance adjuster comes out two weeks later and sees you’ve done nothing to protect your home, that means any ensuing damage like rain is technically not going to be covered because it’s not a result of the hurricane,” Perri said.
CONNECT WITH YOUR AGENT ONCE A YEAR
Perri said every policy holder should contact their agent at least once a year to ask two questions:
- What are the endorsements (policy changes) and exclusions on my policy?
- What changes has the insurance company made to my policy in the last year?
“A lot of times there are changes are made to the policy and you don’t even know it,” Perri said. “You can be notified by a random letter in the mail [that you miss] and all of a sudden you’re no longer covered the way you thought you were.”
FLOOD INSURANCE IS SEPARATE
Flood insurance is a completely separate policy outside of your homeowners policy. FEMA offers flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program.
“You’re dealing with the government so they’re pretty limited in what they pay out [however] the payout is usually much faster,” Perri said. “Normal homeowners insurance coverage is going to be water damage, wind damage, fire damage, theft and vandalism.”
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