Hurricane/Wind Damage
Most insurance policies include some type of coverage for damages caused by wind. Obvious physical evidence of large-scale damage (as when a roof or wall has been blown away) makes the claim process easier because the results of the storm can’t be denied – but there are still a number of details to work out for your settlement. Where you will live or do business while repairs are in progress, the value of the inventory or personal effects lost, the other damages suffered during the event (such as damage from water that stemmed from breaches in the structure due to wind)… all of these issues and more will be factors for our public adjusters to consider in determining your final settlement. We have experience working with hurricane insurance claims adjusting in the recovery of Hurricane Sandy.
Tornado Damage
Insurance companies are notorious for making the claims process after a tornado difficult and time-consuming. Between complicated policy requirements and carrier delay tactics, recovering the full value of your loss can be next to impossible. It’s not impossible with an insurance claims adjuster like Michael A. Mosel, Public Adjusters on your side, though.
Our team of experienced property insurance claims adjusters understands the evaluation process from top to bottom, and we can help you evaluate, negotiate and back up your estimate with all the proper documentation. We will get you past the pitfalls of tornado-specific claims (ensuring you receive your payment directly, instead of a third-party contractor, for example), take precautionary measures (such as requesting advance payments), and understand the tricks (like the controversial 10&10 approach that can see percentages of your profit sent elsewhere).
Hail Damage
Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms often bring hail, and the resulting damage to homes, businesses and other property can be much more significant than just a few dents.
Recovering from this kind of damage can be challenging because of adjusting standards that vary from carrier to carrier. If your damage isn’t immediately obvious, it can be difficult to meet your policy’s requirements and without a trained, experienced, knowledgeable independent claims adjuster on your side, you are likely facing an uphill battle. At Michael A. Mosel, Public Adjusters, we can help you ask all the right questions and come prepared with all the right answers.
Lightning Damage
Lightning damage claims often bring their own set of perils. If fire loss has not been suffered, proving and substantiating damages caused by electrical surges can be a challenge. Computers, electronic equipment, and other systems in your home or business can be ruined by one major electrical surge – and this type of loss can render your property unlivable or unusable for a significant amount of time.
Determining where the surge occurred and proving that it happened on-premise (off-premise surges are not covered by many policies) is an important step in the process for a claim of this type. Affidavits are often required from repair contractors. And estimating the scope of damage involves a lengthy list of questions that the average policy holder doesn’t know to ask.
At Michael A. Mosel, Public Adjusters, we know the questions and can help you find the answers.
Flood Damage
Traditionally, flood damage has not been covered by many carriers, but the National Flood Insurance Program came along in 1968 to provide assistance. Today, most standard insurance policies do not include flood coverage – separate policies from private insurers cover this particular type of loss.
The NFIP’s involvement creates a number of complexities in terms of flood coverage, some as basic as the very definition of the word “flood.” It also typically involves a shorter time frame to submit a claim – usually including a 60-day provision for filing. So a flood-related claim, more than any other kind, requires the expertise of an experienced adjuster.
Be proactive, and hire a public insurance adjuster to get you through this sometimes-trying process.
Sinkholes
Most sinkhole damage occurs in the states of Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Texas, In Texas, sinkholes often occur due to an underlay of limestone, which can lose integrity from groundwater invasion. Underground channels develop, followed by cavities and gaps large enough to eventually collapse the ground above.
The most common sinkhole damage is subtle in nature – slight depressions in lawns, leaning trees or fence posts, etc. These can lead to cracks in walls, floor slabs, tiles, and ceilings, and damage can later extend to the foundation of a building, exterior walls, driveways, and/or pools and decks.
Some insurance policies provide coverage for sinkhole damage; others do not. Even those that cover the damage often make the claims process complicated and difficult to complete. Understanding the issues involved and the options available to you, the policy holder, is essential in a claim of this type. Let the insurance claims adjusters at Michael A. Mosel, Public Adjusters provide you with all the information you need and get you through the process unscathed so you can begin to repair.