Your Car Insurance Guide

If you read our articles about the hurricane season and car insurance, and what should be done just before and during a storm, we hope that you, your home, your car and are safe. If you followed the advice but still sustained damage, here are some ways to make the claims process easier.

Preparing for your claim
As Dostoyevsky said, “You are wise to provide what you need, because all come out in the future.” With the knowledge that a hurricane is on its way, you can get a few things ready in advance. Know your deductible and what is covered by their insurance policies allow you to anticipate their costs and what to ask your insurance company to pay.

If you were able to pick up his car and insurance documents before the storm, having these things really helps when your insurance company asks of them. If you were not able to collect the documents in advance, trying to gather as much information as possible before calling to make your claim. You can expect your car insurance company wants your policy number, vehicle registration and VIN to start your claim.

If your home was damaged, your insurance company housing will want to know the details of the damage. If you have a home inventory, you can use this as documentation of the age, price, brand, and other details of the issues or parts of your home that were damaged. Otherwise, your insurance company housing will have this information. Visit the website of the Insurance Information Institute (III) to get free home inventory software that helps you create and maintain a list of your belongings. Also, take photographs of the damage for future reference, and keep receipts or documents relating to the home or car repair or towing.

Contact your insurance company
Once you have gathered their data and completed its initial documentation of the damage, it’s time to contact your insurance company car or housing. If you need your insurance company contact information and have Internet access, check the company’s website for special lines of credit or assistance in your area. If your company provides a phone number on your situation, try to use it instead of a large number of claims. Many insurance companies also include lists of helpful links on their sites, rental car, or checking on the status of your claim.

Be sure to notify your insurance company about damage to car or home as soon as you can safely after a hurricane. Keep in mind that many people are making claims at this time, and the insurance company has its hands full. For this reason, make sure you check your deductible and what is covered by the insurance company so that you are reimbursed by the extent possible. Ask if you have any other option or anything else if you’re covered.

Your company may first want to know if your house is too damaged to live, or if your vehicle is too damaged to drive. This may help them prioritize their response.

If you have moved temporarily because of the storm, make sure the insurance company of his new address and / or phone number. Otherwise, they may not contact you about your claim.

Repair your car or
Their safety is paramount. Regardless of doing emergency repairs it needs to keep you and your family safe and secure as soon as possible, even if you can not contact your insurance company. It is very likely that it will reimburse their expenses if they are reasonable and necessary.

If it is safe to do so, remove water from your home or car and the repair of any more temporary holes so that water can not enter.

If your car was flooded, try not to drive it. Instead, it has been towed to a reputable mechanic with experience in the examination and repair of cars flooded. If the flooding was minimal, it is often possible to have the car repaired. Most insurance companies that guarantee their satisfaction with the repairs if it is recommended to use a repair shop, and many will help you have towing and repair.

Your car insurance company will be responsible for a claims representative, or adjuster, to examine the damage to his car and provide an estimate of how much the repairs will cost or how much the car was worth it if it can not be repaired. You can work with the regulator and repair shop to coincide with the estimate of the repair to the payment of insurance, if your car insurance company does not handle the repair process.

The process is similar to insurance claims for housing (though hopefully this is not the trailer). Your insurance company may recommend a contractor in your area who is experienced in home repairs. The company often sends an adjuster to determine the amount of damage caused, and then authorize the repairs at a specified price. If your house is severely damaged and can not be lived in, you may be able to obtain money for temporary housing, if their policy before it, so be sure to ask about it. Although nobody wants to have to use your insurance, hopefully these tips will be easier when the time comes.