from our friends at: latimes.com
Filing an insurance claim is one of the many tasks to take care of after the loss of a home or business. It is a process that can take months to complete, and has become more fraught in recent years as insurance companies have canceled or scaled back coverage in wildfire-prone areas.
After any natural disaster, horror stories invariably crop up about insurance companies skimping on payments to vulnerable homeowners, dragging their feet on payouts or canceling coverage. Here’s how you can prepare to get the best possible settlement.
The home I own was damaged or destroyed. What should I do?
- Once you and your family are in a safe place, call your insurance company and file a claim. You will be asked to detail what happened. An insurance adjuster will then investigate your claim to determine whether the insurance company is liable and how much to pay out.
- A wildfire property claim can take several months to resolve, and sometimes years depending on the insurance provider, the complexity of the damage and the volume of claims filed in an area.
But I need relief now. What can I expect?
- If your house is destroyed in an event that resulted in a state of emergency being declared in California — as is the case with the current wildfires — your insurance company is required to immediately pay you a minimum of one-third of the estimated value of your personal belongings (also known as contents) and a minimum of four months’ worth of rent for the area in which you live. Those payments are required whether an adjuster has inspected your home or not, said Michael Soller, a spokesperson with California’s Department of Insurance.
- You can also ask your insurance provider for cash advances for living expenses, such as renting furniture, and replacing personal property. There are companies that can come to your temporary home and furnish it down to your towels and kitchen utensils.
What can I do to make the insurance process as smooth as possible?
- Start a recovery diary and take detailed notes on whom you talked to and when, the numbers you called and what was said, said Annie Barbour, a coordinator for United Policyholders, a nonprofit insurance and consumer rights advocacy group. Keep your paperwork organized and take photos of receipts — such as hotel bills and pet boarding — so you have them easily accessible.
- At your home, take photos before any cleanup or debris removal happens. Carefully inventory all of your damaged and destroyed property.
- Every time you interact with your adjuster, send a follow-up email to confirm what was discussed.
- “You want that paper trail: ‘I talked to you on this date, this is what I heard you say,’ ” Barbour said. “That’s huge. It keeps you from having to take two steps forward and one step back,” especially as adjusters often get reassigned midway through the process.
What should I do after the insurance adjuster inspects my home?
- If the adjuster makes you a settlement offer on the spot, Barbour advised getting a second opinion from an experienced construction professional and to review your policy carefully before accepting.
- Usually, however, the process takes a while, with incremental payments made along the way.
- “It’s all a negotiation and you don’t want to settle too soon,” Barbour said. “You can accept checks as long as none of them say final payment.”
- If you are having trouble reaching a settlement with your insurance provider, you can hire an independent public adjuster to help you with your claim. A public adjuster works on your behalf and can navigate the complexities of your policy and the negotiations process. They charge a fee, typically a percentage of your claim settlement.
How much can I expect to receive from my insurance company?
- It depends on your insurance policy and what specific coverage benefits you paid for.
- In general, your insurance company is required to cover damage only in “like and kind,” which means you are entitled to an amount needed to rebuild or repair a home of similar quality and value.
- “So if you had an older home and it didn’t have any crown molding, it didn’t have wood floors, they’re not going to give you an upgrade,” Barbour said.
Anything else?
- Visit one of the local assistance centers. Volunteers can help you get new copies of documents such as passports, driver’s licenses, and birth, death and marriage certificates that were lost in the fires, and can assist in getting your property taxes reevaluated. There will also be mental health resources available.
- Post-disaster, you might feel overwhelming anxiety that can “push you to make decisions you’re not ready to make,” Barbour said. Instead, hit pause on making big decisions right away.
- “Nothing good is going to happen right off the bat if you rush,” she said. “There are things that you need to be aware of: scams, builders who may not know what they’re doing. Everything needs to be vetted. Don’t sign anything until you’ve had a chance to breathe.”
- You should also register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency if the event becomes a federally declared disaster.
What if I don’t have home insurance?
- “If you don’t have homeowner’s insurance, there is no clear path,” Barbour said. “It’s very difficult to recover.”
- If the wildfires are declared a federal disaster, there will be some FEMA support available, but “it won’t be enough to bring back your house,” Barbour said. “But hopefully you can piece together some resources and see where that takes you.”