Whether you own or rent a single family home or own a portfolio of properties along the coast, making it through hurricane season unscathed is becoming increasingly unlikely. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) explains that coastal counties in the United States “face permanent inundation and flooding threats from sea level rise, intense rains, high tide flooding, and severe storms,” adding that “scientists project that as the climate warms, there will be more intense hurricanes as well as increased rainfall.”
According to the EPA, “More than $1 trillion worth of property is located within 700 feet of the coast,” putting them at risk of extreme weather events, hurricanes, sea level rise, and high tide flooding, which can damage or destroy property or make real estate uninhabitable.
The following tips will help you avoid common pitfalls that frequently result in hurricane claims being denied.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1-November 30 (this includes storms that form in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico). Before hurricane season starts (or as soon as possible, if it has already begun) request a certified copy of your insurance policy from your insurance carrier. It is important to use the language “certified copy” as this ensures that the carrier is attesting that the provided copy is true, updated, and accurate.
Most people think they already have this, but they sometimes only have the Declarations section, which is only a summary. A complete property insurance policy is typically 30-60 pages long. Upon request, the carrier has to provide a certified copy of the policy. If they do not provide it, consumers should report the situation to their state insurance agency.
It can be overwhelming to read through your policy in its entirety. However, it is the only way to identify what is included in your coverage versus what is excluded, along with policy limits and other crucial details.
Remember, that Tiger Adjusters can provide a free evaluation to help you understand the technical language contained in your policy document.
When filing a claim resulting from hurricane damage, you should have the following info compiled to provide to your insurance adjuster:
When you call your insurance carrier, they will identify your policy based on your name and property address. If you secure a Public Adjuster before filing a claim, your Public Adjuster will submit this information on your behalf.
Especially in the case of a catastrophic weather event, there will be an influx of claims filed with your carrier. Filing as soon as possible ensures that you are towards the front of the queue when the carrier starts addressing claims.
Call a mitigation company following roof, water, or flood damage. Depending on the type of damage and its extent, they may advise you to tarp the roof, board up the windows, or install industrial fans to dry out interior walls and flooring.
You are obligated under your property insurance policy to perform appropriate mitigation to prevent further damage from happening. Not taking this step can undermine your ability to collect a settlement down the road.
Use your phone camera or a digital camera to take photos and videos of the damage. Capture as much as possible to submit as evidence along with your claim. Documenting as close to the date of loss as possible strengthens your claim as it directly ties the damage to a specific event (rather than a later date that hypothetically could have also caused the same damage).
Tiger Adjusters are experts at collecting documentation and compiling a comprehensive argument supporting your claim, and that meets the requirements for coverage under your policy.
Depending on what type of policies you have and your coverage, the difference between flooding and water damage could be the difference between having your claim paid or denied.
Simply put, flooding is water that rises from the ground up from an outside source. Typical property insurance policies do not cover flood damage; separate flood coverage is required.
Water damage, on the other hand, can come from a variety of different sources including a storm-created opening due to wind, sudden accidental burst pipe, corroded pipe, failed hot water heater or appliance malfunction.
In some cases there may be “concurrent causation” — property damage that is the result of two or more causes. One cause of loss may be covered, while another is not. The causes of loss may occur simultaneously or in sequence (Enes, 2023). This can occur if there is wind damage or roof damage in addition to rising water.
A Public Adjuster brings immense value to the table in helping to delineate damage and identify its appropriate cause to ensure coverage. Call Tiger Adjusters for assistance with complicated hurricane claims!
Common exclusions related to hurricane damage include roof surfaces endorsements, which tie a maximum payout amount to the age of the roof at the time regardless of the cost to repair or replace. For example, if the roof is between 10-12 years old, the max payout might be $5000. This is especially common in the Gulf states.
Wind-driven rain results in leaks in the roof/ceilings, doorways and windowsills. However, unless there was a specific opening caused by, say, a tree branch crashing through the ceiling, any water damage could be excluded.
Foundation shifting from high wind, which is similar but different from settling, is covered under most policies but is difficult to differentiate from settling (not typically covered).
Compliance timelines vary from state to state, however in each state there are compliance milestones in the property insurance claims process that govern how long the insurance carrier has to acknowledge your claim once submitted, and how long the insurance carrier has to inspect and investigate your claim.
Holding insurance adjusters to these compliance timelines ensures that your claim doesn’t stall out or fall through the cracks.
There are also compliance regulations that dictate how long your insurance carrier has to issue payment after an inspection, issue a reservation of rights to extend the timeline, or issue a denial or partial denial.
Compliance timelines are hard and fast rules; they do not change and there are no exceptions or special circumstances. These guardrails help protect consumers from long, drawn out claims.
As an insured policy holder, there is a disproportionate possibility that you will be either delayed, erroneously denied, or grossly underpaid for the value of your claim. A Public Adjuster will hold your carrier accountable to be sure you get the coverage you are owed under your policy.
Get in touch with Tiger Adjusters today for assistance with your hurricane claim. Contact us to discuss your situation and schedule a free inspection.
Enes, E. (2023, March 2). Concurrent Cause Issues in Insurance: How to Unravel the Language. Woodruff Sawyer. Retrieved December 26, 2024, from https://woodruffsawyer.com/insights/concurrent-cause-unravel-the-language
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (n.d.). Tropical Cyclone Climatology. National Hurricane Center & Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Retrieved December 26, 2024, from https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/climo/
United States Environmental Protection Agency (n.d.). Climate Change Impacts on Coasts. Retrieved December 26, 2024, from https://www.epa.gov/climateimpacts/climate-change-impacts-coasts
