In part one of this blog series, our insurance lawyers provided a few tips for filing homeowners insurance claims. As experienced insurance attorneys, we have other pieces of advice to offer with regard to filing home and property insurance claims, so continue reading for more insight, and contact WSYC Law today for help settling a home insurance claim in Alberta.
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Tips For Filing Home Insurance Claims: Part 2
Get On The Same Page With Your Mortgage Lender
If you do not fully own your home yet and are still making monthly mortgage payments, your mortgage lender will very likely be part of the homeowners insurance claim process. Since your mortgage lender technically still “owns” part of your home until the mortgage is paid off, they potentially have something to lose if your property suffers a significant amount of damage. That being said, give your mortgage lender a call if you plan on filing a property insurance claim, as they will likely have the settlement in escrow (usually a bond or deed) and will release it in installments so they know that you are, in fact, using the money from the insured loss to pay for the damage to be repaired.
Talk To A Contractor
You’ll also want to do some research to find the best contractor in your area, who should be able to provide you with a free estimate for how much the necessary repairs would cost. Once you have this estimate, you can present it to your insurance adjuster so they know just how much the insured loss is worth. Not only does this show that you have already spoken to an expert about the necessary structural repairs, but it also gives them less room to overlook the finer details or downplay the cost of repairs.
Tell The Truth
At the end of the day, what really matters is that you remain truthful about what was damaged or stolen, who was at fault (if you know), and how much the estimated repairs will cost. That being said, your word is only seen as an opinion in the eyes of an insurance adjuster if you don’t have adequate proof to back up your claim, which is why our insurance lawyers strongly recommend documenting the damage and filing a police report if applicable. This way, you and all other parties involved are on the same page and your insurer can trust you during the insurance claim settlement process.
Hire An Insurance Lawyer
That being said, be prepared for some resistance from the insurance adjuster when you go to file the homeowners insurance claim. It is their job to help you get the compensation you deserve when you face insured losses; however, they will likely try to grant you the bare minimum. This is where we come in — at WSYC Law, our insurance attorneys are here to help you file the claim and serve as an intermediary between both parties so you get what you deserve out of the insurance claim settlement. In fact, we don’t even charge you any fees until the claim is settled. Contact us today for help settling your homeowners insurance claim in Alberta!