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Hurricane insuranceTips on Claims for Hurricane InsuranceIf you have been affected by a hurricane and suffered the resulting damages, you need to file for claims from your insurance company for reimbursement of all of your damages. To do Initiating filing of claims 1. Your insurance company needs to be intimated as soon as you find damages, say to your automobile. Insurance companies have staff working in the claims department 24 hours a day. If you have rental car coverage on your policy, they will immediately schedule a rental car for your use. This is done in lieu of the fact that although there are not as many car claims as property claims during a hurricane, rental car companies may experience a shortage of available cars. Acting immediately will save one the pressures of being stranded without transport. Taking photographs of the damaged property will help the insurance company assess your damages quicker. It may take the company time to get to your damaged property in a hurricane hit area. In the mean time, you have the responsibility to prevent further damage to your vehicle or property. Simple measures like covering broken windows on the vehicle or sheeting holes on your house roof will keep away straying animals and prevent rain from causing more damage. Do only what is reasonable and safe, taking caution not to put oneself at risk. Losses need to be documented 2. The best claim tip would be to take a video tour of your home, recording all your belongings after having taken a policy. Or, you could do this manually, by making a paper note of the items at home. This will ensure no items are left out when the claim is made. Make a note of inconspicuous items like bed linens, vacuums, etc. Many polices include food-spoilage coverage in a homeowner’s hurricane insurance policy. This policy covers all losses with regard to food items like condiments and foods stored in the refrigerator and freezer. The set limit is $300 to $500 per appliance. Make sure to include that amount in the claim. These reimbursements will help in recuperating from heavy losses incurred. Claims made for Reimbursement 3. File all receipts of purchases carefully and keep them easily accessible. Most homeowner’s hurricane insurance policies cover hotel expenses. Miscellaneous items like food, toiletry, medicines, entertainment items like books and movies should be covered as well. Receipts for all these purchases have to be produced to make a claim. Keeping in mind that only a reasonable amount will be reimbursed, one would do well to stay away from spending exorbitantly on clothing and other accessories. While trying to derive the maximum benefit from an insurance policy, it is to be remembered that a hurricane insurance policy only reimburses to an extent, and not the entire purchased amount. ↑ Back to Top
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