Survival Guide of the Homeowners Insurance Claim Process

President of Kahler Financial Group Rick Kahler, explains to consumers how to make the insurance claim process on their home repair as easy as possible.

Kahler explains simple solutions to daunting problems homeowners often face with insurance companies, which starts with understanding the relationship between the homeowner and the insurance company.

If a consumer has a mortgage and their home has suffered significant damage due to some form of disaster, they have most likely gone through the complicated insurance claim process.

Typically the insurance company issues a claim settlement check to both the homeowner and the mortgage company, to insure that the money be used properly.

Unfortunately it is not uncommon for many homeowners to have problems when trying to get the proper insurance claim amount.

Homeowners Insurance Claim Process

The first step for the consumer to understand that the insurance company is not their friend, but adversary. While most insurance companies act accordingly and provide the necessary coverage in cases of legitimate emergency, protocols for homeowners insurance can be more daunting than most consumers expect.

Homeowners insurance companies often take a long time to respond to insurance claim requests, sometimes dragging the process on for months. Kahler explains that this problem often stems from the homeowners being able to find a reliable contractor, and then negotiate the estimate with their insurance company.

To help remedy this, homeowners should report a claim as soon as possible after the disaster strikes. However reporting it to a contractor before the insurance agent may be a good idea, because it is more difficult to schedule them for an on-site visit.

In contrast, insurance companies are quick to respond and can send adjusters to the site soon after the call. Kahler states that it is vital that the damage be examined by a licensed contractor, because their estimates often exceed the insurance company’s by 50 to 60 percent.

This can lead to many negotiating sessions with the company, but the professional opinion of the contractor will give the homeowners necessary leverage. Being patient and persistent are the best courses of action during this time, as to encourage the insurance company to cooperate.

Another thing to remember when filing an insurance claim, is that the insurance company has several points of interest in the matter. While the insurance company will ideally produce some coverage, it is often with the expectation that the homeowners will repair the damage at the lowest cost.

However insurance companies also want to maintain the homeowners as customers, and to avoid any negative legal action. It is important to note that the insurance claim process is apart of any homeowners insurance company, and that switching companies may not help the situation.

Overall Kahler advises homeowners to understand that their relationship with their homeowners insurance company may be combative, and to keep insisting for the estimate amount from the contractor.

Furthermore, when dealing with disaster, homeowners need to be their own advocates and look out for themselves and their families.

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If you have experienced difficulty recovering insurance property claim money from your mortgage company, you may have a legal claim. Submit your information now for a free case evaluation. If you qualify, a lawyer will contact you to discuss the details of your case.

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