Water Damage Claim In California
Water damage can be tremendously detrimental to your home or commercial property. Not only can mold and mildew grow in as little as 24 hours, but electricity and electrical units exposed to water can be very dangerous. As soon as you are aware of water damage, call a trusted cleanup crew and turn off the power supply to avoid electrical shock. While it may feel as though you have an overwhelming list of things to do, when you call water damage insurance claim adjusters we will assist you with many of the stressful tasks you are now facing. One of the most important tasks is taking the steps required to submit your insurance claim quickly and correctly to ensure you can get your settlement as soon as possible to cover the damages.
As soon as you call ClaimMax Adjusters we will quickly consult with you over the phone and suggest a recommended action plan that usually includes a scheduled on-site inspection to begin the process of comprehensive documentation essential for obtaining prompt and fair carrier payments.
While it may be important to make a call early on to an emergency plumber or dry-out vendor, you should consider calling us first to obtain vendor selection guidance from us to dramatically lower your risk of poor repairs and claim denials and or claim underpayments. If you’ve never dealt with an insurance company before, you might be disappointed to find that they don’t have your best interest in mind. You could end up getting the run-around for weeks or even months. Don’t wait to get us involved. The sooner we can help you, the sooner you can move on with your life — with the settlement amount you deserve.
To learn more about how we can help you with your water damage insurance claim, contact us today.
How Can Water Damage Occur?
Water damage is a common problem for homeowners in California, but before you need to make a water damage insurance claim, it’s best to know what causes it and how to avoid it in general.
Water damage can come from a variety of sources. Most commonly, it occurs when an area sees excessive flooding, and preventative measures simply aren’t enough to prevent the home from taking in water. That water sits while the homeowner finds a way to fix it, and water damage occurs.
Water damage can also occur due to more mundane issues, though. If your plumbing is old and bursts or leaks, that can lead to water damage, as well. Rain that isn’t properly diverted to appropriate areas can build up and cause water damage. Even something as seemingly innocent as leaky or damaged gutters can lead to water damage because they allow water to work its way into the foundation, stay puddled on awnings, and other things.
Luckily, most forms of water damage are avoidable, but if issues do go unnoticed, which they often do, damage can accumulate quickly and only become obvious once it’s severe enough to warrant serious action.
How to Start the Insurance Claim Process
Insurance Denial Warning
When property damage occurs most people want their insurance carrier to provide coverage in order to obtain reimbursement for the needed repairs as well as the usual collateral expenses that accompany the loss such as:
- Dry out/Restoration services,
- Contents-related expenses,
- Temporary housing,
- Food reimbursement, or
- Business interruption expenses (if it is a commercial loss).
Not all claims are covered just because they are filed and you obtain a claim number. As a rule of thumb, carriers have been reported to use the following general coverage rule: 20% of all reported losses should always be covered, 20% of all reported losses should never be covered, and 60% of all reported losses are up to the assigned adjuster to decide.
Because the initial claim filing if done by you by phone is recorded by the carrier, there is a potentially higher risk of inadvertently triggering a delayed coverage or a denied claim if incorrect information is reported to the carrier by you.
To minimize your risk of a claim denial, first, call ClaimMax Adjusters for a consultation free of charge to discuss if you should file the claim yourself or you should hire a Public Insurance Adjuster to file the claim for you. Also, discuss with the adjuster if you should have a public adjuster meet the assigned carrier’s adjuster at the initial on-site carrier inspection. Initial on-site inspections are usually performed by the carrier to help them make a claim coverage or denial decision.
How To File a Claim?
If you to make a water damage claim in California, you have to follow a precise process to help your insurance claim get accepted and move the process along smoothly.
First, you want to find the source of the damage and take as many clear photos of the source and the damage caused, right away. This gives you evidence instead of solely relying on the company.
Then, it’s time to contact the company or firm that you receive home insurance through. It is important to note that home insurance typically only covers water damages caused by parts of the home such as burst pipes and leaks. If the damage is caused by a flood, you should call your flood insurance provider.
Now, make temporary repairs if possible to prevent the water damage from becoming a bigger issue. This can mean having the water removed, turning off the water going to the source of the damage, etc.
Your insurance provider will send an adjuster to evaluate the damage caused.
After you have provided your evidence, and the carrier’s adjuster evaluates the damage in-person, you will be prompted to file paperwork officializing your claim.