STORM DAMAGES/INSURANCE

Some areas of Dallas got hit yesterday with severe storms; myself being one. Any recommendations (strategy) on dealing with insurance companies to leaverage the best compensation for damages?

Thanks.

Some areas of Dallas got hit yesterday with severe storms; myself being one. Any recommendations (strategy) on dealing with insurance companies to leaverage the best compensation for damages?

Thanks. Originally Posted by Whirlaway

anyone want to help whirlie with insurance fraud?

If I was interested in defrauding the insurance companies I would hire a democratic tort lawyer like John Edwards.

ok whirlie


the ins co will come inspect the damage and give you the go ahead to start repairs per their estimate ... should the contractor find something the ins co missed he/they should (and make damn sure they do) , call the ins co to come back and write a suppliment that covers the cost of repairs they missed ... theres no limit to the # of suppliments if the damage is severe enough ... dont let a contractor tell you that it will cost you more out of pocket than your deductable for any related damage

thanks CJ..............would there be any advantage having some estimates in hand before the insurance adjuster does their on-site visit? Especially for the big ticket items?

ok whirlie


the ins co will come inspect the damage and give you the go ahead to start repairs per their estimate ... should the contractor find something the ins co missed he/they should (and make damn sure they do) , call the ins co to come back and write a suppliment that covers the cost of repairs they missed ... theres no limit to the # of suppliments if the damage is severe enough ... dont let a contractor tell you that it will cost you more out of pocket than your deductable for any related damage Originally Posted by CJ7

thanks CJ..............would there be any advantage to me having some estimates in hand before the insurance adjuster does their on-site visit? Especially for the big ticket items? Originally Posted by Whirlaway

nope, dont waste your time


the ins co will write the estimate, and severe damage estimates are most always short ... thats why suppliments work. The ins co comes back and the contractor literally shows them what was missed. I wouldnt worry too much about the insurance co not fixing what was damaged as I would about a contractor cutting corners on ins estimates ... after storms fly by night contractors are a dime a dozen ... choose someone LOCAL and ESTABLISHED with a good business history and plenty of references.

if you run into an issue pm me anytime whirlie

Thanks CJ; appreciate the offer. Are you in the insurance business??

Thanks CJ; appreciate the offer. Are you in the insurance business?? Originally Posted by Whirlaway

no, but I dealt with them for 25 years ... I know the procedures and how to sift through the protocol.

Some areas of Dallas got hit yesterday with severe storms; myself being one. Any recommendations (strategy) on dealing with insurance companies to leaverage the best compensation for damages?

Thanks. Originally Posted by Whirlaway

You know all those conservative Republicans you like, well they fixed it so you are going to get screwed and there will be nothing you can do about it. Enjoy your claims.

First, it depends on who your carrier is. If you have a main line carrier like Allstate, State Farm, Farmers', etc., the odds are that they will treat you reasonably well. If hail damage to your roof is the primary problem, the biggest issues is going to be 1) the age of your roof versus the number of years it was rated for; and 2) whether they will claim that any damage to the roof comes from previous storms.

On the other hand, if you have a county mutual company, or have a non-standard defined risks policy (rather than the old Homeowner's A form), you're somewhat more likely to have a problem.

Another issue is whether you have a contractor in mind to do the repairs to the roof. The roofing business if full of fly-by-night companies that come and go following storms; or open and reopen to avoid honoring their warranties; and all sorts of other nefarious practices. I always tell my clients to find a company that has been in the roofing business for around 20 years and hire them to do the work. That sort of longevity means that they probably do decent work; that they will probably be around in case to honor the workmanship warranty if you have any problems; and that generally you're not dealing with some fly by night outfit.

I would get them to do an estimate before the adjuster comes and give it to the adjuster. The adjuster will sometimes try to get you to use the insurance company's "preferred provider". Only do this is the insurance company will provide a written warranty for their work on the same terms as your roofer's warranty. Also read the fine print on the warranty. Plus, a warranty from a insurance company that won't be there in two or three years is worthless. You're entitled to use whoever your want to repair the damage (although you are only entitled to the reasonable value of repair).

Finally, make sure that you take all necessary steps to mitigate your damages. Seal up the leaks you can seal up. Move vulnerable furniture, etc. Being cooperative, polite, and reasonable (but not a pushover) always helps.

Finally, if you need help, don't be afraid to call a Democratic tort lawyer -- there really aren't any other kind. That's what we're here for. After all, if half the insurance companies treated half the people half right half the time, we'd be doing something else for a living, now, wouldn't we.

I had ahil damage once. The insurance company told me how much they would pay for a roof.
My neighbor and I got estimates and using the same company we could save some bucks. It was significantly less than what the incurance adjuster allowed.
I called and told them I could save them some money and myself too if they would waive the deductible.
The answer was no, so I asked them if I should get the most roof I could get for the money allowed and they told me it did not mattter to them.
In the end, I got a much better roof, longer warranty for the amount allowed and only paid my 250 deductible.

I had replacement cost coverage and it took me a long time to get them to replace my roof because they said it was near the end of the life of the roof. I said I pay for replacement cost, no depreciation. It was a fight but in the end I won. I dont think they will even sell the policy that i had anymore.

TTH, Thanks for your insights. My carrier is State Farm, so I hope they are reasonable to deal with.

2 Dogs, good advice to team up with neighbors to get best deal from contractors.

Thanks tor the solid advice.

If it's a roof, thats one thing. If it's structure, That's another.

TTH, Thanks for your insights. My carrier is State Farm, so I hope they are reasonable to deal with.

2 Dogs, good advice to team up with neighbors to get best deal from contractors.

Thanks tor the solid advice. Originally Posted by Whirlaway

No guarantee, but you're less likely to be jacked around by the mainline carriers. PM me if you have a specific problem.