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Severe Weather? How will your insurance respond?

By June 27, 2019September 13th, 2019No Comments

Summer thunder storms are upon us.  In the last few weeks there have been really strong wind storms.  A few clients have had trees fall on their homes.  Thankfully the people are okay but the houses have quite a bit of damage.  Thought it would be helpful to share some questions we have received the last few weeks in case you have been wondering about some of these questions to.

Question:  What do I do if my home is damaged during a storm?

Answer:  The first thing you have to do is make sure all the people are safe and safely out of the area that is damaged.  Then you need to prevent further damage to your home.  You can do that by contacting a restoration company to have the tree removed and the damage covered so that your home isn’t damaged more by rainfall.  If the interior of your home is wet you need to have the restoration company place fans in the home to dry it out as quickly as possible.

Question:  How do I find a restoration contractor?

Answer:  There are a few things you need to keep in mind when you hire any contractor including restoration contractors.  This blog post reveals the things you need to do every time you hire a contractor.  Here are a few things you need to know specific to restoration contractors:

  1. Make sure they have insurance.
  2. Some restoration contractors only do emergency services like removing the tree, covering a roof, placing fans in the interior to dry it out etc…. There are restoration contractors who will do emergency services and are also experienced with doing the repair work.
  3. Verify the scope of the work you are asking them to do and get pricing. There are limits on your home policy for certain types of work so you want to be clear what you are asking them to do and what you may pay if your insurance does not cover it.

Question: If my neighbors tree falls on my property (house, car, fence, shed etc…) does my neighbors insurance pay for it?

Answer:  This question is ask all the time.  The answer is no.  Your insurance will respond.  If your neighbor has a tree that looks diseased or damaged in any way and you are concerned about it hitting your property you should ask your neighbor to remove it.

Question: If a tree falls into my yard will my insurance pay to remove it?

Answer:  The tree has to hit covered property in order for the insurance to pay to remove it or be blocking a driveway.

Question:  Is there a limit to how much the insurance company will pay to remove a tree that hits covered property?

Answer:  Yes there is.  Consult your home policy to find the exact amount.  Most policies cover no more than $1,000 for removal.

Question: What do I do if it is after hours or a Saturday when my home is damaged and O’Connor Insurance is closed?

Answer:  Our office has an after-hours voice mail message that will connect you directly with the insurance company you are insured with so you can start the claims process.  Listen to the voice prompts when you call in to be connected.  You can also visit our website to find the claims information for all the insurance companies.

What questions do you have?  Please call O’Connor Insurance Associates at 704-510-8884 to get your questions answered.

 

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