Damaged Home? How To Get An Insurer To Pay Up - Part 1

Tornadoes. Hurricanes. Wildfires. Over the past decade, insurance companies have paid more than $450 billion in property damages to policyholders. But now, some insurers are looking for ways to limit their losses by denying claims and sticking homeowners with the bill.

Visit our Blog Site over the next 3 days to learn some simple and valuable steps you can take to help make sure you get paid when filing a property claim.

Document your holdings: Technology has made it easy to keep track of your belongings -- and the condition of your home.

Now, you can do a walk through with your smartphone and take photos or videos of your furniture, electronics, appliances, everything of value, including the home's physical features. Then email the visual evidence to yourself so you won't lose it.

Pay particular attention to documenting architectural details. Many policies have exclusions that enable insurers to turn down claims for wear and tear. If a roof is in poor condition, for example, and gets blown off in a storm, the insurer can say it was not maintained and it won't pay for the resulting water damage.

Keep records of previous repairs and maintenance so you can prove that the windows, roof, siding and other home features were in good shape. You can even take photos of these records in case you lose the hard copies in a disaster.

When It Comes To Hurricanes, Lightning Really Can Strike Twice

Weather experts are predicting a less active hurricane season on the Atlantic Coast than in recent years due to the fact that water temperatures are projected to be cooler than they have been under the influence of El Nino.

While a storm of the magnitude of Sandy may not occur again for many years, it is always a good idea to prepare for the possibility that a storm or other disaster may interrupt the usual summer cycles of rainy and sunny days and present the state with a major weather challenge.

If that occurs, it’s up to each of us to be ready to respond effectively.  


That means using the tools of preparedness that can mean the difference between life and death, danger and safety, when a storm arrives.    

    - Perhaps the most important thing you can do is create a family communications plan. Make cards for each family member with names and contact numbers. Have a contact in another state, or at least another town, that family members can get in touch with, as making a long-distance call or even sending a text message may be easier than a local call during a disaster.

   - Know how to get to higher ground if you need to evacuate, what your community’s evacuation route is, and where it goes. New Jersey has several state roads, U.S. highways and interstates designated as state coastal evacuation routes along with county and local routes.

  - You also want to know just how vulnerable your home and property are to flooding. Learn the elevation level of your property and whether there are any levees or dams in the area that might pose a flood threat.

  - Secure your home’s windows, roof, and garage. Permanent storm shutters are best for windows, but plywood five-eighths of an inch thick and cut to fit is an effective temporary solution and will also work on windowed garage doors. Secure the roof to the frame of the house by adding straps or additional clamps, and while you’re up there, make sure the gutters are clear.

 

- Keep any trees and shrubs around your home trimmed to improve their wind resistance. Bring in outdoor furniture, decorations, plants in stands, and anything else outside that isn’t nailed down. If you own a boat, decide ahead of time where and how you plan to secure it.

Near-Normal Hurricane Season Predicted

The formation of an El Niño and cooler than normal sea-surface temperatures in the Atlantic Main Development Region could suppress hurricane formation and severity.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) forecast, there is a 50-percent chance of a below-normal season, a 40 percent chance of a near-normal season and a 10-percent chance of an above-normal season.  The six-month hurricane season began June 1, and NOAA predicts a 70 percent likelihood of eight to 13 named storms, those with winds of greater than 39 mph, and three to six of those could become hurricanes, achieving winds of 74 mph or higher, including one or two major hurricanes, with winds of 111 mph or higher.

These numbers are near or below the seasonal averages of 12 named storms, six hurricanes and three major hurricanes, based on the average from 1981 to 2010. The Atlantic hurricane region includes the North Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico.

Extreme Weather History on July Fourth