Sunday, August 19, 2018

How Can You Figure Out Whether Or Not To Pursue A Home Insurance Claim?

By Jose Hamilton


Is there anything on the list of homeowners' nightmares worse than being welcomed by the sight of a broken-in house? Or a fraction of tree that somehow forced its way inside thanks to Mother Nature's tantrums? Clearly not. However, it's in such instances that you thank your instincts for showing you the need for home insurance Houston Tx.

Like any insurance, personal property coverage is meant to protect you from suffering a financial loss. Here's the thing though: the fact that something has gone wrong doesn't always mean you should seek compensation. With that in mind, it's worth taking a look at the factors that will help you determine whether or not to file a claim:

Evaluate: After the initial shock now comes the need to understand the extent of damage you've suffered. As long as it won't expose you to potential hazards, a simple visual assessment of the scene will do. If necessary, contact the police and notify them of your situation.

Document the Scene: Does your phone have a great camera? Use it to take photos of the affected area(s), of course making sure to highlight the damaged/lost items. You could also borrow a camera from a neighbor/friend as an alternative. What's important here is to collect the evidence you will need in case it becomes necessary to proceed with the claims process.

Review Your Policy: The guarantees included in your policy are contingent on the relevance of an event to the covered instances. Also crucial is the level of coverage defined within. Added up, these two form the obvious need to read through your insurance contract to see what is and what isn't covered.

Factor in Your Liability: Was there someone else was in your property during the event? If they sustained injuries of any kind, contact your insurer immediately. You'll also want to launch a claim in order to minimize your exposure to lawsuits in future.

Examine Your History: Ever heard of the term 'serial claimant?' This is commonly used to describe individuals who make a habit of filing claims (i. E. Several in a 5-year span). And as you've probably guessed, insurers are not fond of such cases. It's thus important to check your history before proceeding. Otherwise, you could find yourself getting stonewalled when shopping for insurance in years to come.

Weigh the Cost: To be more specific, this involves comparing the cost of recovering from the damage to the deductible defined in your policy. If the claims process will require you to pay more money than what you'd get, you're better off covering the latter out of pocket. In other words, launching a claim only becomes necessary when the damage exceeds the deductible.

All in all, it's in your best interest to avoid filing any claim that could be considered as frivolous. Failure to do so will not only lower your chances for obtaining coverage, but also leave you exposed to potential disasters. You don't want to find yourself in either of these positions in years to come, do you?




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