With the recent bad weather bringing water levers higher than usual, places that have never been prone to flooding before have been submerged under water with many business and homes damaged and some completely beyond repair. More people than ever are having to make insurance claims, with last years flooding insurance claims estimated at £1.5 billion, how do you get the best possible settlement to start the unenviable process of rebuilding your home?
Whether you need to make an insurance claim after a flood or a fire you should remember that insurance companies do what they can to make sure that they pay out the least amount possible in a settlement. If you are unlucky enough to have to make a claim following damage to your property, then you can enlist the help of loss assessors who act on your behalf and make sure that they get the best possible pay out from your claim, by dealing directly with your insurance company.
When making a claim, follow these steps:
1) After a flood or fire, burglary or theft, you should dig out your policy details and make sure that you are covered for the said damage.
2) Contact your insurance company and explain the damage and what has caused this.
3) You will then have to either fill out an insurance claims form or they will do this over the phone for you to save time. Bear in mind that you may have to get estimates for the repair of the damage and/ or claim for the emergency repairs that you have had to make in the interim.
4) Your insurance company will then send someone to assess the damage caused to your home or property.
5) You should then receive a settlement amount from your insurance company, which 9 times out of 10 is a lot less than you had expected or hoped it to be. If this is the case, then you can employ a loss assessor to work your claim and get you the best possible settlement.
Loss Assessors tend to work on a ‘no win, no fee’ basis, only taking a small percentage and take the stress out of making a claim and working completely on your behalf. AKA Assisted Claims do exactly that – assist you with your claims and get you the amount that you deserve. If you have to make a claim, then employing a loss assessor is the best way for you to get the most from your claim and makes the whole process a lot less arduous.
