The first step in filing your hurricane damage insurance claim is contacting your insurance company. Most people will do this by calling their insurance agent as soon as possible. This is a great idea and should get things moving quickly, but it is also important to notify your insurance company of your hurricane damage claim in writing.

According to the Texas state insurance code an insurance company has the 15 days to begin investigating a claim after they have been notified of a insurance claim by the policy holder. After a natural disaster, like a hurricane, insurance providers are often granted leniency by the state insurance commissioner, allowing them 30 days .

If this 30 day deadline is missed you may want to enlist the services of an experienced hurricane claims attorney to assist you in your case. Attorney’s fees and an additional 18 percent interest penalty may be  imposed by the Texas Insurance Code if your insurance provider fails to meet these deadlines.

Once an investigation begins the deadlines are lifted. There is no limit to the amount of time an insurance company has to investigate a hurricane damage claim, but insurers are obligated to handle hurricane insurance claims in a timely manner.

It is important to also remember that settling your hurricane damage claim may not happen overnight. The reality is that may take some period of time before you actually see any hurricane damage compensation from your insurance provider.

You should document all hurricane damage to your property with photographs or videos. This will provide a record of damages and possessions, therefore strengthening your hurricane damage insurance claim.

You should keep all of your receipts for any hurricane related expenses. This includes alternative living expenses and any money that is spent on temporary damage repairs that were made to reduce further damage to your property.

You should make arrangements to meet your insurance adjuster at the scene when he or she evaluates your hurricane damage claim. Being present and pointing out all hurricane damages to the adjuster can make huge difference and gives you the best chance of having a favorable initial damage estimate.

Most contractors will provide free estimates on the costs of repairs. Using independent contractors to evaluate damages will provide you with an understanding of how much it will cost to have repairs completed and the ability to see if your insurance adjuster’s estimates are sufficient to have these tasks preformed.

Differences in the amount that you are quoted by a contractor, and the amount that your hurricane claims adjuster estimates that these repairs should cost, may indicate a problem. If there are discrepancies between the amounts offered by your insurance company and the estimates provided by your independent contractors, you should provide these estimates to your insurance provider and request that the estimates provided by your contractors be taken as the amount needed to have these repairs completed.

In some cases the claims adjuster may request additional damage inspections by engineers or other third-party companies. It is a good idea to request copies of any reports that may be related to these additional damage inspections.

If you are not satisfied with the offer made by you insurance provider, do not agree to it. You have other options. Reopening a closed hurricane damage claim can be very difficult, therefore it is very important to carefully read what you are signing before doing so. You should not be intimidated by your insurance company. After all, they do work for you.

If you feel like your insurance provider is not adequately handling your hurricane damage claim contact us today for a free case evaluation. We have the experience and know-how to cut through the red-tape and get you what you deserve. Call us toll free at 1-866-LAW-2400 and let us show you what our resources can do for you.