insurance claim & adjuster ??

[tinkfan4ever]

Unfortunately we had wind damage from IKE moving through. A hugh pine fell on our pool and Rainbow jungle gym. I can't seem to be able to catch the insurance claim person on the phone - we keep playing phone tag. Her last message said she's sending an adjuster to contact me. I've never filed a claim before. Can anyone tell me the process and what to expect? Both need to be replaced fully but I'm afraid they are going to try and nickel and dime the situation. Thanks!!!

 

[tinkarooni]

I am going to ask you to forgive me before I speak.....I am working on very little sleep at this point. I am a claims adjuster in a different state than you and we also were hit very hard by the remnants of Hurricane Ike. The reason I ask you to apologize is in case my answer seems at all cold. So that being said, claims adjusters are working 14 or 16 hour days in my area trying to get to everyone who STILL has no power, have enormous trees through the roofs of their homes and can not live at their house. In times of catastrophes, which this has been deemed, we have to grade claims in order of damage. I am sorry that your adjuster has not gotten back to you yet but she is probably looking for a place for someone else to live while they try to find a contractor, that can't be found, to remove the tree from someone's kitchen.

So while myself and many other claims adjusters are sorry for any inconvenience you have suffered please be patient. I am sure your adjuster will get to you and your rainbow play system.

As far as your fear of getting ripped off, trust me, we are too busy to rip anyone off and instead are paying extra just to make sure that you don't call back to nickel and dime us as we are too busy to talk to you twice.

So, I apologized already....but I meant every word. Let's try and think of others right now shall we? Gotta go, I have to see a guy about a tree.

 

[robin09]

I'm sorry but I just had to respond to the coldness of your post. I too am dealing with a lack of sleep due to a 9 year old who just can't sleep lately. As a claims adjuster I think you were very rude. Yes, we all know that there is a matter of importance. BUt each person has there own degree of what is important. As a mother of a child who has aspergers, sensory problems, adhd.. to name a few, to be without my swing set would be horrible for me and for the school. Swinging on it and climbing is the way she calms herself down. As for the pool.... maybe the OP is afraid to clean anything out because the adjuster has to see it first... But maybe she is afraid of causing anyone harm due to the damage.

I went through a townwide flood in 2006, it was horrible, we lost our business, $40,000 worth of merchandise and computers went downstream. We also lost our bathroom due to a well overflowing, that we never knew about. We live in a house that was built over 100 years ago. But I digress. It took maybe 2 weeks for the adjuster to get to us. Claims were denied, due to rising water, flowing water, you name it there was a reason for it to be denied. Our claim for looting was denied, even though we had proof of theft (our water heater had to be unscrewed, and it was) ... the reason it was denied... we didn't report it quick enough to the police... UH, excuse me.. we were in lockdown, no electricity, and the POLICE Station was destroyed during the flood. We reported it in 96 hours.. but were required to do it in 48 hours, or something like that. So when you say that insurance adjusters pay out more so they don't have to respond twice, sorry but I don't believe it. I believe your attitutde is the reason, claimants want to know the right thing to do. They are afraid of being screwed and are screwed regularly from insurance companies.

I am going to ask you to forgive me before I speak.....I am working on very little sleep at this point. I am a claims adjuster in a different state than you and we also were hit very hard by the remnants of Hurricane Ike. The reason I ask you to apologize is in case my answer seems at all cold. So that being said, claims adjusters are working 14 or 16 hour days in my area trying to get to everyone who STILL has no power, have enormous trees through the roofs of their homes and can not live at their house. In times of catastrophes, which this has been deemed, we have to grade claims in order of damage. I am sorry that your adjuster has not gotten back to you yet but she is probably looking for a place for someone else to live while they try to find a contractor, that can't be found, to remove the tree from someone's kitchen.

So while myself and many other claims adjusters are sorry for any inconvenience you have suffered please be patient. I am sure your adjuster will get to you and your rainbow play system.

As far as your fear of getting ripped off, trust me, we are too busy to rip anyone off and instead are paying extra just to make sure that you don't call back to nickel and dime us as we are too busy to talk to you twice.

So, I apologized already....but I meant every word. Let's try and think of others right now shall we? Gotta go, I have to see a guy about a tree.

 

[Miz Diz]

I am a former claims adjuster.

People don't realize how many claims at one time a claims adjuster handles. It was not uncommon for me to have an inventory of 300 claims at one time. All of those with varying degrees of damages. I handled auto, so some were vehicle only damages, some were both vehicles and injuries. At times of catastrophes or major storms, adjusters are getting hundreds of claims at once.

Just be patient. They'll get to you. You should expect them to call you in a reasonable amount of time, but reasonable can vary if the storm has affected a lot of people in your area. You can try calling again, but I would wait until it has been at least 24 hours. Maybe longer depending on the damage in your area. You will also have a deductible. That is not them nickle and diming you - it is the deductible you selected when you bought the policy.

Once they assess the damage, they may give you an estimate and pay you less your deductible. If you disagree with their assessment, you can back it up by showing them where you can buy your playset and for how much. They may show you that you can purchase it elsewhere for less. I don't know how your policy reads and I never handled homeowner claims, but if your playset was damaged or really old, I doubt they are going to put you in a better position - ie buy you the newest version without taking some type of betterment out. Maybe someone else can weigh in on that. I know with auto, if you have damage to a tire, they will measure the tread on the tire and you are responsible for a portion of the new tire since the one being replaced was already worn (unless it was a brand new tire that got damaged).

 

[Miz Diz]

I'm sorry but I just had to respond to the coldness of your post. I too am dealing with a lack of sleep due to a 9 year old who just can't sleep lately. As a claims adjuster I think you were very rude. Yes, we all know that there is a matter of importance. BUt each person has there own degree of what is important. As a mother of a child who has aspergers, sensory problems, adhd.. to name a few, to be without my swing set would be horrible for me and for the school. Swinging on it and climbing is the way she calms herself down. As for the pool.... maybe the OP is afraid to clean anything out because the adjuster has to see it first... But maybe she is afraid of causing anyone harm due to the damage.

So you are saying a playset is more important to replace than someone's house? I'm sure there are parks in the area if the case with the OP is a child who needs a playset. A tree in someone's roof is far more important. If it isn't taken care of, more damage will be caused with rain and elements and then those people will be complaining because the damage is worse due to the adjuster not getting out there since they were looking at pools and playsets.

Sorry you had so many problems with your claim. Maybe you should have hired an attorney or contacted your state insurance commissioner. Insurance companies are required to answer any complaints to the insurance commissioner in writing.

 

[PlutoPony]

Ok, I'm not a claims adjuster .... It will probably save you time in the long run if you check your policy so you're clear on WHAT your coverage includes - is it for replacement cost, what's the deductible, etc. Not trying to snarky with this suggestion, I'm myself am not familiar with all the ins and outs of our policy (and I've filed claims before). Due to the sheer volume of claims being filed imo it's not unreasonable that claims be prioritized by the level of destruction involved and yours may be down the list a little ways unfortunately.

Good luck!

 

[corie161]

Wow! I don't the OP was complaining about the time the claim is taking as much as she was just asking what to expect when the adjuster comes to her home. She said she's never been through a claim before.

OP, I've thankfully never had to deal with a claim either, but my DSis has. She's in the process of dealing with one for a garage fire. A lot will depend on your homeowners coverage so read your policy and see what it details as far as replacement coverage for the items you lost.

 

[Narnia]

When the claims adjuster comes to your house they will go through your policy to make sure your covered and if there is a deductable that's taking care of(it can be absorbed in the coast of replacement). First they asses the situation and if your are in danger in anyway they will get it fixed fast. Then they will get a few differant quotes on services and replacement items to see what's the cheaper way to deal with the situation. To replace our things from our last claim took a month.

 

[tinkarooni]

I am a former claims adjuster.

People don't realize how many claims at one time a claims adjuster handles. It was not uncommon for me to have an inventory of 300 claims at one time. All of those with varying degrees of damages. I handled auto, so some were vehicle only damages, some were both vehicles and injuries. At times of catastrophes or major storms, adjusters are getting hundreds of claims at once.

Just be patient. They'll get to you. You should expect them to call you in a reasonable amount of time, but reasonable can vary if the storm has affected a lot of people in your area. You can try calling again, but I would wait until it has been at least 24 hours. Maybe longer depending on the damage in your area. You will also have a deductible. That is not them nickle and diming you - it is the deductible you selected when you bought the policy.

Once they assess the damage, they may give you an estimate and pay you less your deductible. If you disagree with their assessment, you can back it up by showing them where you can buy your playset and for how much. They may show you that you can purchase it elsewhere for less. I don't know how your policy reads and I never handled homeowner claims, but if your playset was damaged or really old, I doubt they are going to put you in a better position - ie buy you the newest version without taking some type of betterment out. Maybe someone else can weigh in on that. I know with auto, if you have damage to a tire, they will measure the tread on the tire and you are responsible for a portion of the new tire since the one being replaced was already worn (unless it was a brand new tire that got damaged).

Exactly. Again, let's try and think of others. For those of you who are not aware this storm traveled all the way into Ohio and PA with sustained winds of 79 mph in some areas. Still many people are without power and have very severe damage to their homes and we have not gotten to them yet. This is my point. I was also being quite truthful when I stated I am paying people a more than fair amount so that they do not call back. I have more than 400 people waiting to hear from me this week. We are bringing in additional help but no one expected this to happen. So I wonder OP if your neighbor had her roof blown off and her master bedroom was currently exposed to the weather if you would be as concerned about the swingset? It also did irritates me that people naturally assume that insurance companies are out to rip you off. We are trained to pay what we owe. Every single time. However if a homeowner purchases a policy that does not provide replacement cost and depreciates their items or perhaps a named peril policy which means they do not have coverage for windstorm that is not the insurance companies fault, that comes back to you get what you pay for.

So, I came on the disboards today to get away from work for a few minutes....but now it's back to it. 400 people are waiting for my call.....

 

[tinkarooni]

I'm sorry but I just had to respond to the coldness of your post. I too am dealing with a lack of sleep due to a 9 year old who just can't sleep lately. As a claims adjuster I think you were very rude. Yes, we all know that there is a matter of importance. BUt each person has there own degree of what is important. As a mother of a child who has aspergers, sensory problems, adhd.. to name a few, to be without my swing set would be horrible for me and for the school. Swinging on it and climbing is the way she calms herself down.

However I am certain that your child would be more upset if your roof was ripped off. Good luck and maybe sometime soon we can both catch a nap.

 

[missj1975]

Unfortunately we had wind damage from IKE moving through. A hugh pine fell on our pool and Rainbow jungle gym. I can't seem to be able to catch the insurance claim person on the phone - we keep playing phone tag. Her last message said she's sending an adjuster to contact me. I've never filed a claim before. Can anyone tell me the process and what to expect? Both need to be replaced fully but I'm afraid they are going to try and nickel and dime the situation. Thanks!!!

My brother in law is a claims adjuster. For his claims, he goes out to survey the damage, review the policy, and then pay out the claim if it is within his authority. If the claim amount is bigger, he would request a check be mailed to the insured.

Claims Adjusters are not out to nickel and dime you. The adjusters are just doing their job, a very thankless job. My brother-in-law gets yelled out and threatened almost everyday because people aren't happy with the payout amount. It is mindboggling how many people expect to get paid for a brand new tv when their damaged tv was over five years old. Anyway, my point is please don't assume that the agent is trying to rip you off.

My brother in law who lives in Missouri got called to storm duty in Lousiana. He is now in Louisana for four weeks doing claims for 16 hours a day. I just want to remind people that adjusters aren't "evil" people out to "steal your money." He is working to support his family just like everyone else.

 

[Jill2150]

I am a claims desk adjuster...not a field adjuster...but I know with all the flooding/wind due to reminents (sp?) of IKE (St. Louis area) we had a Catastophe called which is basically when there are a lot of claims in one area due to ice, hail, etc. We tell people 3-5 days even for intial contact just so the CAT team can get all set up. I would say if it's been in that time frame, just call your main Ins Co. 800# and usually anyone can check status since most anyone can usually see notes on a claim as they are all on the computer. Hope this helps.

 

[mamalle]

It takes time and Im sure they are doing there best to get to you and your damage. living in south fla we have been thru this and it is overwhelming to those affected. Im sure you are upset but hang in there. Its not about nickel and diming like you stated- they have specific prices, etc that include depreciation values also..

 

[TheRustyScupper]

I'm sorry but I just had to respond to the coldness of your post. I too am dealing with a lack of sleep due to a 9 year old who just can't sleep lately. As a claims adjuster I think you were very rude. Yes, we all know that there is a matter of importance. BUt each person has there own degree of what is important. As a mother of a child who has aspergers, sensory problems, adhd.. to name a few, to be without my swing set would be horrible for me and for the school. Swinging on it and climbing is the way she calms herself down. As for the pool.... maybe the OP is afraid to clean anything out because the adjuster has to see it first... But maybe she is afraid of causing anyone harm due to the damage.

1) We have suffered big losses in Hugo and Charlie.
2) Sure, we wanted the claims guy there NOW, NOW, NOW.
3) But, people out of homes were far more important than our "minor" damage.
. . . the "minor" damage was over $30,000 each time
. . . due to rain later in the month, the damage even increased
. . . but we had a dry home, where others were homeless and/or injured
4) We really didn't mind waiting for adjusters to get around to us.
5) Just be patient, as they do get around to you.
6) And, as a side note, we never felt ripped off with our settlements.
7) We paid for "replacement-value" coverage, and we were able to replace everything via the settlement.

8) When the adjuster gets around to you
. . . have a list of damages to property and buildings (car problems are on auto insurance)
. . . have a list of damaged items (include photos you took to remind you and show you had them)
. . . have a list of costs of the damaged items
. . . have approx cost of replacing damaged items (only if you bought replacement-value insurance)
. . . have a separate list for flooding-water damage, as this is usually not covered under homeowner's
. . . have a pleasant demeanor, they are only doing their jobs and nastiness gets you nowhere


NOTE: I am sorry that the PP thinks a swing set is more important than people who are homeless. And, I did not think the claims adjuster was rude with his/her reply. Just factual.

 

[corie161]

I can't believe that people think the OP feels her swingset is more important out of what she posted. Nowhere did she say that. She did say she's never been through a claim before and didn't know what do expect. Yes, patience is important when waiting on her calls, but that doesn't mean she feels her claim is more important than those that lost their entire house, etc.

OP good luck with your claim.

 

[missj1975]

I can't believe that people think the OP feels her swingset is more important out of what she posted. Nowhere did she say that. She did say she's never been through a claim before and didn't know what do expect. Yes, patience is important when waiting on her calls, but that doesn't mean she feels her claim is more important than those that lost their entire house, etc.

OP good luck with your claim.

No one is saying the OP said that, me and other posters are referring to Robin09's post.

 

[tinkfan4ever]

Oh My Goodness!!! I never thought this post would bring such flames. First of all I am not stating that my situation should be prioritized before other more serious situations. I've never filed a claim - thank goodness. Now that I have to, I just wanted to know what to expect. I have replacement cost but I didn't know if that was included for outside things. The claim was filed on Monday. It's Thursday and no one has talked to me yet (except for my local agent). I'm not upset at all, even though I had to take my house off the market until this gets cleared up. I am in the process for getting my own estimates for the cost because I don't want this to take forever. However I don't know if they will even look at them because I've never done this (is it their job or mine). Please everyone take a deep breath and calm down!!! Thanks to everyone who answered my questions and didn't flame me!!!! The nickel and dime comment was only because people at work have said how their insurance companies have been in the past (insurance after all is a business). I don't know since I've never done this! Please stop the flames!

 

[Cindi0511]

My neighbor had Tower Insurance when Charley came through, and it covered her $1,200 swingset under the "outside buildings" clause, if I remember correctly. Also, if I remember right, our pools were covered if they were attached to our house (in Florida, many are in-ground pools that are basically on the back porch -- we call those lanais.)

Do you have a copy of your policy or can you see it online? It SHOULD tell you if you have "outside building" or similar coverage. Of course, should is the operative word there.

You do need to see what the deductible is. I'm assuming here, and I am not an adjuster or agent, but from past experience, this may be under wind damage, and you need to find out if you're covered for that.

I do think it will be several weeks before they get to your claim, but mostly because others are homeless. I called USAA from my cell phone just minutes after Charley's main blast was over, and it still took a while.

I think getting estimates is fine. They will only replace exactly what you have or "like quality." (I am not saying you're trying to get more than you had; I'm just using the ins. company's language.) See if you can find the same thing online and print out the price list, a copy for them and for yourself.

One of the 12 adjusters we had for our one claim (totallying $100,000+) after Charley told me this. "There are two ways for insurance companies to handle claims, and they are both totally legal. One says, 'Here's the member's policy -- find a way to pay it.' The other says, 'Here's the member's policy -- find a way to not pay it.' The adjuster has to follow the guidelines he's given, and most likely, they will be independent contractors. There are just too many people affected by Ike -- what a wild storm. (All my adjusters said they'd get USAA if they were eligible!)

I agree that everyone needs to take a deep breath and everyone be patient -- EVERYONE is stressed out at times like this, and getting angry doesn't help. Yes, I have been in your shoes on a different scale. BUT more than likely, this won't be finished even within a month. These storms cause such widespread damage that nothing goes fast, even small claims like yours.

While it would seem logical that they might want to get as many small claims done and closed ASAP, it's just impossible. It took a full two years to complete our claim. We had $5,000 down on another house and had just put the finishing touches on ours. It was to go on the market the following week. I am not trying to discourage you but do want to let you know that everything will go at a snail's pace because the insurance people are totally overwhelmed right now. Many truly are working 12-18 hour days nonstop as well as trying to repair and fix their own personal damage. And many people call them screaming nonstop. I am NOT saying you are, OP. Please don't get me wrong. I am just trying to give perspective on the timing of repairs from my own experience.

Charley was the only claim I've ever made on homeowners. I hope I never have to do it again, although USAA was great. I'll never switch!

Best wishes to all adversely affected by Ike!

 

[Cindi0511]

They paid us $1,000 twice for something after Charley. It was about 18 months into our claim, and although I had tried very hard to keep everything organized on a spreadsheet, some of their abbreviations and payments were not easily understood. BUT, I did realize that they paid me twice for the same thing.

Poor girl on the other end of the phone about had a heart attack when I called her to ask her where to send them the $1,000 check to refund them. I LOVE USAA and will never switch.

Like I said previously, legally a company CAN nickel and dime you, but in all of Charley's damage in my town, I didn't hear of but a few cases. Again, good luck to you!

 

[kcromley]

wow. we just got power on today, after it went out last Friday. The neighbor tells me the salvation army is still giving out free hot meals in our town, the food stores are just re-opening, and I am counting my blessings that my family is alive and safe and my home liveable. And no, I haven't even looked at my Rainbow play set yet. Let's keep our priorities straight; the level of destruction in some parts of Texas is extraordinary.