• Hi Guest - Come check out all of the new CP Merch Shop! Now you can support CigarPass buy purchasing hats, apparel, and more...
    Click here to visit! here...

Any insurance agents out there?

Brickhouse

Brickhouse

J.C. Newman owes me royalties.
Joined
Apr 12, 2006
Messages
10,177
Location
Smithton, IL
Well, the Midwest got hammered with rains this week and my finished basement got about 5" of water throughout the entire thing. So everything that sits on the ground is pretty much damage or ruined.

The good news is I've gotten the water out and things are drying, plus I have decent insurance and am covered up to about $30,000. But now I've got to start the tedious process of inventorying it and pictures and what not.

Just curious if anyone has experience in this area and can give me some recommendations on how to handle it.

For example: My laptop was on the floor next to my lazy boy (on it's end actually). So the ports were submerged. Well, we dried it out and it turns on and seems ok. But I'm hesitant to say it's fine, if I don't claim it then I'm sure in a week it'll burn up due to internal damage. How do you document things like that? Things that look ok now, but probably have internal damage.

What about things that were brand spankin' new? They may not be completely ruined but now they are water damaged....do I get to claim that stuff?

Weird questions I know, but any help is appreciated.

Thanks,

Wyatt
 
Not an insurance guy, Wyatt, but best wishes for a quick recovery from Mother Nature's efforts..... :thumbs:

Best Regards - B.B.S.
 
The laptop working is a good sign, but you could still end up with corrosion and the damage might not be apparent for awhile. I'd completely break it down and throughly clean it with isopropyl alcohol, or electronics cleaner. Be sure to give the ports a good hosing. reasemble and your are probably good. Also did the Hard Drive get wet. Whole new set of issues.

Your agent should be able to answer all of this though.

Keith
 
Wyatt, I'm in Canada, and have insurance with the bank the wife works at, so anything I say may or may not apply.

When we came back from Cuba in November, we had a big wet spot in the basement carpet from a busted drain pipe in the wall.

Bottom story, they couldn't do enough for us. Paid me for the work I did, replaced the 'puter desk that had minimal damage, replaced the WHOLE carpet, including up the stairs, yadda yadda. Before I signed off after the work was done they came in to inspect everything to make sure all was OK.

Overall, a great insurance experience
 
Thanks for the words. My insurance place is being very helpful as well. They've got a lot of claims from the Midwest they said because of all the rain. So it's not like they're fighting anything. Time will tell I guess. I hope they don't give me any issues.

They even said they'd send someone out to clean it all up, but I've already been working it pretty hard, told them not to worry about it.
 
Wyatt, Sorry to hear that. Hope all turns out well.
 
If your deductible is not too high, I'd have someone come out and dry it out for you. If not, you could get mold growth inside your drywalled walls. This happens to probably four outta my five neighbors at least once a year. Luckily my house was built last and is not only higher than everyone else's, I make sure someone can get in my house to turn on the generator and hook up the sump pump if the power goes out.
 
Wyatt:

I had a flood of a different nature a few years ago. The master suite toilet clogged and coincidentally the flapper stuck open and the toilet overflowed for about 5 hours causing damage to both floors, garage, and the basement. Furnace, water heater, duct work, drapes, carpet, etc. were all damaged from the flood. Then the mitigation team brought in fans and dehumidifiers which caused dirt and dust everywhere which resulted in huge dry-cleaning bills and furniture cleaning bills.

All told it was about $25,000 and State Farm took care of everything. In the case of items, like your laptop, which we suspected would soon fail as a result, they were very good about it basically saying "have it checked out and if there is any indication of "potential" damage we will replace it".

Act of God and nature events may be different.

Good luck!
 
I am own an insurance company in NH. Looks like you are being taken care of. However if you have any questions or if I can be of any assistance at all don't hesitiate to hit me with a PM

Best of luck.
 
Newfie said:
We had a big wet spot in the basement carpet from a busted drain pipe in the wall.
Click to expand...

CigarStone said:
I had a flood of a different nature a few years ago. The master suite toilet clogged and coincidentally the flapper stuck open and the toilet overflowed...
Click to expand...

I work for one of the big insurance companies here in Tennessee, and I will tell you what we would think about these situations. Basically, Newfie and CigarStone had a "sudden water burst", which is NOT flood. They are covered on TN home owner polices as accidental and sudden water bursts.

Wyatt, your's was flood. Wind driven rain means, FLOOD. Flood policies (at least in TN) are issued by the Government. You would know if you had one because you have to get certain things done, I believe they are called elevation certificates. Check with your insurance ASAP. I'll keep your situation in my daily thoughts and prayers. Good luck brotha.
 
The thing about our situation is we "rent" the house from my wifes father. He isn't covered, plain and simple. But our renters insurance is covering all of our goods that were damaged.

They won't cover any damage to the house, but all of our belongings are covered. I'm just a little grey on what to claim I guess. Completely damaged things, or anything that touched water...just in case.
 
If you own a video camera take a video of everything if you haven't already. It is very useful if your agency starts getting picky. Obvious what you can claim and not claim is spelled out on your policy. If you think you have a grey area deal with your agent.

Document.... document.... and document some more.
 
The only thing that I had to contribute to this thread was that floods aren't usually covered in home owners insurance....as stated, usually issued by Gov't. It's good to hear that you're renter's insurance will help you w/ your belongings. :thumbs: I hope you get your stuff fixed Wyatt, I'm sorry this happend to you :(...my parent's house has had some 'issues' in the past too..and wow it's a pain in the neck (to say the least). Best of luck!
 
Brickhouse said:
They won't cover any damage to the house, but all of our belongings are covered. I'm just a little grey on what to claim I guess. Completely damaged things, or anything that touched water...just in case.
Click to expand...

I would say anything that you think MIGHT have been affected by water. They might pay to have it checked out by a professional. ;)
 
Sorry to hear about your home.. One of your option is to talk to a public adjuster. Insurance carriers will try their best to cut down on your settlements, but if you go through a public adjuster they will try to maximize it.
 
Bummer about the flood. I deal with insurance companies her in So Cal. Things may be a little different in your area. As far a PA's go don't hire one unless your at wits end. They do have fee's that they have to collect and those fee's come out of your pocket. It's usually 20+% of what they collect.

As far as your contents. Make a very detailed list of the things damaged. Everything that got hit with water should either be cleaned & refinished or replaced. When it comes to electronics of any sort you should put those down as total loss. Most of the time they have sensors in them to see if they got wet. It's just a sticker that changes color in most. If thats the case the warranty on any of them will be void. Keep in mind that most of the time it takes a while for the water to actually damage the unit. There are companies that specialize in cleaning electronics but you may want to weigh your options on cost. It may be cheaper to buy new then to have some items cleaned. As far as contents go I would total loss any soft good and anything that is made with particle board or melamine surfaces. If you have things that are solid wood they can be sanded and refinished.

Hope this helps, you may also want to check with your adjuster on what your options are and for a contents restoration contractor in your area.

D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top