What To Expect Following A Claim

 
 
claims 5W's.jpg

Who, What, When, Where, Why?

Who:

Block insurance reports your claim to the insurance company. The insurance company sets your claim up in their computer system and then appoints an independent adjuster to work with you. The independent adjuster contacts you.

What:

When the adjuster does contact you they will let you know if they will need to meet with you, inspect your property or interview employees and/or students

When:

Time frames can be affected by many factors including natural disasters (in our state or any other state), the severity of your claim compared to the severity of other claims being reported at about the same time and whether or not injuries are involved. As a general rule of thumb you can expect three to four business days wait for an adjuster to call you after you’ve reported your claim.

Where:

The face to face meeting will occur at your school or at the repair shop if you have a damaged vehicle.

Why:

The adjuster may well need to inspect the damaged property or, if your claim is a liability claim, the premises where the accident happened. The purpose of this inspection is to be sure that you are fairly compensated in the event of a property claim or fairly defended in the event of a liability claim.

while waiting website.jpg

What To Do After Making A Claim And Waiting On The Adjuster.

Securing Your Property:

When you have a property claim you are understandably anxious to get your property back to normal as soon as possible. Your insurance policy not only permits you to begin the process, it holds you responsible for securing your property. This means you can begin cleanup and do temporary repairs. Before you begin Block Insurance suggests that you take photos of all the damage. We also suggest that if you have a place to put the damaged property that does not represent a hazard to the children at your school, you keep all the damaged property for the adjusters inspection.

Selecting A Contractor Or A Repair Facility:

The choice of a contractor, mechanic or auto body repair facility is in your hands. With the freedom of choice, however, comes the responsibility for the outcome. If a contractor charges you more than other licensed contractors would charge the insurer is not obligated to pay the additional charge unless your contractor can justify the reason for the difference. If a mechanic does not fix your vehicle the insurance company does not pay a second time to have your vehicle fixed by another mechanic. Block Insurance recommends that you confirm with a contractor that they have a valid Florida contractors license, accept insurance assignments and that they prepare estimates that comply with insurance adjusting guidelines. When selecting a mechanic or auto body repair facility we suggest you review the warranty terms offered and that you utilize an established repair business.

Insurer Appointed Lawyers In Liability Claims:

When you are involved in a liability claim you receive legal defense to a greater or lesser extent. The amount of legal defense to which you are entitled is spelled out in your insurance policy and will vary from coverage to coverage and policy to policy. The insurance company has the authority to appoint the attorney that will represent you. You are bound to cooperate with that attorney by the terms of your insurance contact. If you hire an attorney on your own you will be solely responsible for that attorney’s fees.

claims check.JPG

The Claim Check!

Property claim checks will be made payable to the appropriate party. If you own your building with no mortgage, the checks will be payable to your school. If you have a mortgage on your property, the checks will be payable to your school and your mortgagee jointly. If you have assigned the insurance proceeds to your contractor your claim checks will be payable to the contractor.

In the case of property claims you will be required to sign a proof of loss form. This documents the amount of money the insurer has released to you with each and every check.

Auto claims are very similar to property claims. If you still owe money on the vehicle, claim checks will be pay- able to you and the loss payee.

Liability settlements are paid directly to the plaintiff.

Insurance companies provide very little information to Block Insurance regarding your claim. Please be sure to call us with questions and concerns.

Block Insurance must count on you to let us know if there is a problem. We are anxious to serve you but we don’t know there is a concern with a claim unless you tell us.