How To Handle a Property Damage Claim

Did your home, business, or vehicle sustain damage during a recent storm, burglary, or accident? Call a property damage lawyer for a free consultation.

An attorney can assist you throughout the property damage claim process. From evaluating your insurance coverage to see whether property damage is covered under your policy to fighting for the compensation you need to make the necessary repairs, this lawyer will stand by your side every step of the way.

You should also familiarize yourself with the claim process so you know what to expect. Here is how to handle a claim properly.

Take the Appropriate Safety Measures

In the immediate aftermath of a storm, burglary, or accident, your first instinct might be to begin performing a property damage assessment. You’ll want to see just how badly your home, business, or vehicle has been damaged.

But, safety first!

You could put yourself and others at risk if you start walking around in your home or business following a storm or a burglary to assess damages. You could also cause a chaotic scene after a motor vehicle accident if you’re more concerned about the damages done to your car than all the traffic building up around you.

Take safety measures to ensure you and others are safe after an incident that caused property damage. You can worry about assessing this damage later once you’re sure it’s safe to do so.

Document the Property Damage

When you file a property damage claim, you’ll need to send as much evidence as you can to support it. For this reason, documenting the property damage done during a storm, burglary, or accident is of the utmost importance.

Barring an unsafe situation, pull out your smartphone and snap photographs and videos of your home, business, or vehicle to document the damage it sustained — and don’t forget to include yourself in that list if you have any visible injuries. Write down as much information as you can about the incident that caused this damage, too. Include when and where it happened, who was involved, and any other relevant details.

If someone else was involved in an incident that damaged your home, business, or vehicle, you should also exchange insurance information with them. If your insurance company or a property damage lawyer can prove liability on their part, they could be responsible for paying for repairs.

Arrange for Emergency Repairs

Did a storm rip off half your home’s roof? Did a burglary lead to the front door of your business being kicked in and knocked off its hinges? Or did a car accident cause one of the windows in your vehicle to break?

You may need to arrange emergency repairs in each of these instances. Putting a tarp on your home’s roof, boarding up the front of your business, or scrambling to have a new window installed in your car can prevent further complications.

If you need to hire someone to help, call around for a few repair estimates. Don’t let anyone take advantage of your situation and overcharge you for emergency repair services.

Reach Out to Your Insurance Company

You probably pay a pretty penny each month for homeowners’ insurance, business insurance, and/or auto insurance. You do it for situations just like this when you need to file a property damage claim.

Contact your insurance company shortly after a storm, burglary, or accident occurs and fill them in on what has happened. Your insurance company will likely ask you to provide them with the following information:

• Photographs and videos of the damage done to your home, business, or vehicle
• Written details about the incident that took place and the damages it caused
• Copies of police reports and any other reports you might have related to an incident
• Receipts for any emergency property repairs you’ve been forced to make

After collecting this information, your insurance company will assign an adjuster to your case. This person is in charge of inspecting your property damage, determining whether or not your insurance policy covers it and calculating how much compensation you should receive to make repairs.

While this is happening, you may want to gather your repair estimates. This could help you determine whether an insurance adjuster is attempting to lowball you with a settlement offer for your property damage claim.

Keep in mind that you are not required to accept any offer that you don’t agree with. You have additional legal options if you’re unhappy with the offer you receive from your insurance company.

Touch Base With a Property Damage Lawyer

Ideally, a property damage claim will go smoothly from start to finish. It will also end with you collecting enough compensation to pay for the property damage repairs you’re facing.

If, however, you aren’t satisfied with the offer you receive from an insurance adjuster, feel free to turn it down and seek the services of a trusted property damage lawyer. They can handle communicating with your insurance company about your claim. They can also negotiate with an insurance adjuster to help you collect more compensation than you were initially offered.

A personal injury attorney might also suggest filing claims against others involved in an accident that led to your home, business, or vehicle sustaining damage. If they were responsible for an accident, you may maintain the right to recover damages through legal proceedings.

Call Us If You Need Help Finding a Local Property Damage Lawyer

Seeing your home, business, or vehicle sustain damage during a storm, burglary, or accident can serve as a heart-wrenching experience. You may wonder how you’ll ever find the strength to pick up the pieces and begin putting them back together.

It all starts with filing a property damage claim. You can also look into taking legal action against an insurance company or another party in an effort to recover damages in court.

Accident Hotline can connect you with a reliable property damage lawyer in your area. Contact us at (844) 343-9609 to schedule a free consultation with a local property damage attorney.