As many states and cities are beginning to recover following the nor’easter that shook the nation, many people are questioning how they’re going to recover.
According to WTOP, a major wind storm in Washington caused many properties to be damaged and many homeowners to start filing insurance claims. The number of insurance claims that were filed may be causing the delay of many responses simply because there were just so many. Additional insurance adjusters have been brought out to the area to take a look at the damage and assist with processing claims. Even though there is the additional help, homeowners are still encouraged to be patient, as there is a lot to cover. Insurance expert Mike McCartin, believes there are ways to speed the process along.
“Anything that you do that is reasonable and necessary, either to expedite the process or repair damage to prevent additional damage, you’re not going to be penalized for that,” McCartin said.
McCartin suggests homeowners take pictures of their property and the damage, and recommends keeping any receipts for emergency damage repairs. Since the amount of damage was so widespread, most of the claims won’t be hard to settle. When insurance companies sort out their claims, they do it by severity. This means anyone who had a tree fall into their house, making it unlivable, will be seen and dealt with much quicker than someone who has a downed tree on their fence.
Massachusetts was also hit by the Nor’easter, and many insurance companies in the area have seen more claims than normal. According to the Patriot Ledger, more insurance claims came in for the company Flavin and Flavin Realty and Insurance Then they did for the storm in January. The company says they haven’t had as many claims as they do now in about 10 years.
About 20% of all insurance claims relate to water damage of some kind, and that’s the case for the some of the area of Peggotty Beach in Massachusetts. Insurance companies are urging residents in the area to go and protect their properties from any further damage. As always, save your receipts and take any pictures so the insurance company can handle the situation when they’re able to.