After a serious storm, like a hurricane or similar weather event, you can understandably feel shaken. You and your family may have needed to evacuate or at least take shelter to ride out the storm in order to protect yourselves. Of course, once the storm has passed, you want to determine how much damage your property may have sustained.
Storm damage is not uncommon, especially in Florida. You undoubtedly have homeowner’s insurance to help protect your financial interests in such events, but you also know that dealing with insurance companies can be messy. As a result, you may want to get some kind of heads-up in regard to any damage to your home.
What should you look for?
Before venturing into your home or even onto your property, make sure that it is safe to do so. Storms can easily make structures unstable, and you do not want to put yourself or your family at risk of injury after making it through a storm. If you do get the ok to check for damage, some places to assess include the following:
- Roof: Your roof could easily sustain damage in the form of leaks, dents to gutters or vents, missing shingles or broken tiles.
- Windows: Storms with strong winds or hail can easily damage glass windows and cause cracks and holes, shatter glass, break window panes and damage frames.
- Exterior: Depending on the type of exterior your home has, it could have discoloration, chips, cracks, holes, breaks or dents.
Of course, after a severe storm, you may not have to look hard for signs of damage. If trees fell on your home or high winds sheared parts of it away, you know that you have major damage on your hands. As a result, you want your insurance company to help you deal with such loss.
Filing a claim
Unfortunately, not all insurance providers have their policyholders’ best interests in mind as they want to make a profit. If you find yourself needing to make an insurance claim after a serious storm in which your home sustained damage, but you end up with a denied claim or lowball payout offer, you may feel confused. Regrettably, insurance companies can act in bad faith and leave their policyholders struggling even more, and it may be wise to speak with an attorney. Taking legal action could help you get the compensation you deserve.
