At Plattner Law, P.C., our hearts go out to you in this terrible time of loss.
Having myself been a Los Angeles homeowner, and having experienced a disaster with my own home, I know what it is like to feel that all is lost.
In times like this, people turn to their insurance for help. But dealing with our own insurance company can be an ordeal, on top of the ordeal already faced. Here is a guide for what to expect when you make your insurance claim, along with some tips for making your claim:
- Organize. Make both an online and paper file. Get in the habit of documenting EVERYTHING having to do with your insurance claim. Keep everything together in chronological order.
- Get your homeowners insurance policy.
- If your policy was terminated recently, as insurers pulled out of California, there are still possibilities for coverage. Call this office for assistance.
- Read your policy and familiarize yourself with the limits of coverage, which can be found on the “Declarations” pages. Seek legal assistance in understanding the nuances of your particular policy, particularly concerning time limits and what triggers them. Understanding the details is critical in making a claim.
- Call your insurance agent to report the claim.
- List what you have lost. Do this now, while your memory is fresh, even though it may be painful. Locate as many videos or photos as possible of your property from before and after the damage.
- Keep track of your expenses in recovering from the loss. Do you need temporary housing? Restaurant meals? Transportation? Medical treatment? Missed work? Photograph all receipts and upload them to your online file.
- Keep up to date on correspondence. Do not rely on your insurance company to maintain all correspondence. Even in this digital age, printing your correspondence and conversation notes on paper can be remarkably useful.
- Every time you communicate with your agent or insurer, write down the date, time, who you spoke with, and what was said. Keep copies of the phone bills that show the dates and times of your calls.
- After you report the claim, your insurer most likely do three things: Take a recorded statement from you, send an adjuster to see your property, and send a contractor to your property to assess the damage and repair costs.
- Recorded statement – consult with an attorney prior to making any recorded statements.
- Adjuster – Keep a record of when the adjuster calls or visits your property, and what they tell you.
- Contractor – The contractor that the insurant company send to your property works for the insurance company, not for you. It is a good idea to have your own contractor give you a detailed estimate of what they would charge to repair or rebuild.
- After the above investigation, your insurer will make you an offer to settle the claim. Be sure to request any costs that you have incurred and are covered by your policy – relocation costs, code upgrades, temporary housing, etc.
- You are not required to accept an insurance company’s first offer of compensation. Consult with an attorney before signing any settlement document or cashing any checks. Accepting any payment may trigger limits on future payments.
- Although no one wants to contemplate suing one’s own insurance company, if you cannot come to an agreement, legal action may be the only option. There are VERY strict time deadlines for a homeowner to bring a lawsuit against their own insurance company. Do not wait to contact a lawyer until you think that you have exhausted all options yourself. Contact a lawyer immediately to determine the specific time limits in your policy. If you miss the deadline, then you lose your ability to enforce your rights. Time deadlines are usually more complex than they seem.
If you would like to discuss any of this or would like help, please email me at gbplattner@plattnerlaw.com or call 310.691.6211. I offer a free 30-minute consult and welcome the chance to help you through this difficult time.
Kind regards,
Gabriella Plattner
Test