How To File an Insurance Claim After Hurricane Ian.

1) Gather Key Insurance Information

Find a copy of your current declarations page and look for your Hurricane Deductible amount and calculate it. This is usually a percentage of your main building coverage.

For example, a 2% hurricane deductible, with a $400,000 limit for Coverage A-Dwelling would equal an $8,000 deductible.

2) Decide If You Should Make A Claim

Major damage should be reported as soon as you can. For damage that seems minor compared to the hurricane deductible amount, it might make sense to get it checked out by a contractor, roofer, or public adjuster, before making a claim.

Sometimes what seems like a minor issue could be the sign of a big problem.

If there’s a delay in reporting a claim and it “prejudices” the insurance company’s ability to investigate the claim, it can result in a claim denial.

3) Get The Details To Report The Claim

The insurance company is going to ask for the address of your damaged property, your phone number, and your policy number. If you don’t have your policy number available, your insurance company should be able to find it by using your address. You will also need a brief description of your damages (examples: my roof is leaking or a tree fell on my house or roof damage with leaks inside).

4) Report Your Claim – Either By Phone Or Online, If It’s Available

Report your claim directly to your insurance company, if possible. Your insurance agent can help you report a claim, but it’s better to go directly to your actual insurance company.

Check out the numbers and links to online claims portals below.

5) Provide Brief, Accurate Information

Explain briefly about your damage, and answer any follow up questions. Don’t guess at answers. If you haven’t been up on your roof and don’t know the extent of damage, just say you aren’t sure if you’re asked.

6) You’re Probably Being Recorded

The insurance company is probably recording your call, and might use it against you if it can. That means you should be polite, be accurate, and be brief.

7) Expect To Be Handed Off To An Adjuster

The person taking your first notice of loss is going to put your claim in the system and that’s probably it. You’ll get a call from an adjuster within a day or two of reporting your claim. The adjuster will do the inspection, start gathering information from you, and possibly conduct a recorded statement of you.

8) Keep Notes

Whether it’s on paper or your phone or your computer, write down when you put in your claim notice, when the adjuster came out, and anything important that was said to you. The insurance company should have a record of all of these things, but you don’t want to have to rely on the insurance company’s recollection if you end up in a fight about your claim.

9) Know Your Timelines

14 days after you make your claim, the insurance company needs to acknowledge your claim in writing. This will have the claim number, other details, and adjuster contact details on it. You’ll also get a Homeowners Claims Bill of Rights.
14 days is the longest an adjuster can take to reply to any communication from you about your claim.
30 days is the normal timeframefor you to respond to a request for a Sworn Statement in Proof of Loss (but your policy may provide more or less time).
90 days after you make your claim, the insurance company should have made its final decision and issued payment or denied payment.