Archive | Property Damage Claims

The Role of an Independent Adjuster in Property Damage Claims

Property damage can be expensive to repair, which is why most people have adequate insurance to cover the expenses. They pay premiums on insurance for commercial and residential properties and fully expect to get financial compensation if their property is damaged due to a covered peril. However, before they can claim the compensation, the property damage must be assessed. This is done by the insurance adjuster.

Who is an Insurance Adjuster?

The insurance adjuster is a professional who will inspect your property damage thoroughly and provide the report to your Insurance Company, with recommendations of payment. It is the adjuster’s duty to be thorough and inspect every area that has been effected by the covered peril, preparing an estimate and reaching an agreed scope and estimate with the contractor of your choice.

How to Handle the Claims Process

• Call the insurance company as soon as you can and report the damage. You should know that the insurance company will listen to everything you say carefully, so be honest and provide as many details as you can. You should also tell them if you’re uncertain about the full extent of the damage.

• Ask the insurance company to send a property damage adjuster immediately or hire third party independent adjuster to provide unbiased and straightforward advice.

• Once they’re in your property, point out the area where the damage is most visible and let them know if you don’t understand the full extent of it. As an insured person, you should make sure that the adjuster doesn’t limit their inspection to areas with visible damage. Not all damage caused by storms, floods, accidents, etc, are immediately apparent. You need to inspect the property closely to determine the full extent of the damage.

What Role Does the Insurance Adjuster Play?

An insurance adjuster is a very important part of the claims process. They help you and the insurance company agree on the acceptable compensation amount. Without the insurance adjuster, the insurance company would offer a possible compensation amount while you would try to get the highest possible one. Here is how an insurance adjuster can help you:

• They’re well-trained and have experience in assessing property damage. They’re familiar with different types of damage caused by natural disasters and accidents, so they’ll know where to check and how deeply they should investigate the matter.

• Adjusters are also familiar with the latest industry prices, so they will provide a fairly accurate estimate of the repair cost. An unbiased adjuster will ensure the compensation amount covers good quality materials and labor.

• An independent adjuster will meet with the insurance company representative and explain the extent of the damage and recommend steps which would restore the property to the pre-loss state.

• The adjuster’s goal is to ensure the company and the insured individuals come to an agreement regarding the compensation amount.

As you can see, the insurance adjuster plays an important role in the claims process and the right adjuster can ensure all parties involved are satisfied.

Ouellette & Associates, Inc. is an independent insurance claims firm covering the entire state of Indiana and the adjacent counties of Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio. Click here to assign a claim.

Common Fire Hazards at Home

Ouellette & Associates is a true multi-line Independent Adjustment firm which handles claims from on-scene truck accidents to large commercial fire losses.

As we are in the prime time for fires in homes and businesses, there are some key areas that we’d like to address that can cause these fires. In our experience, we see many accidents that can be easily avoided with proper care and maintenance.

Clothes Dryer Fires

The image below are reflective of a clothes dryer fire caused by vents not being cleaned regularly. This causes a backup of heat into the dryer, and any lint on the lint filter can catch fire very easily. In turn, this causes extreme smoke and can cause extensive fire damage to the structure if not caught promptly. A good sign that there is lint build-up in your vent is if your clothes are taking longer than normal to dry. Regular cleanings and maintenance can help keep you safe and your dryer working more efficiently.

Space Heater Safety

Another source of wintertime fires is the ‘space heater.’ As many try to save money on their heating bills, space heaters are often used. If used improperly, or not properly maintained, space heaters allow for a grave fire hazards and have caused several fires in Indiana this year – some resulting in death, as they spread so quickly.

For your safety, there are some basic guidelines to choosing an appropriate space heater. Be sure to choose the size of heater
that corresponds with the space you wish to heat. Also, make sure that it can’t be easily tipped over — and if so, that the space heater has an auto-shut off in case of tipping or of excessive heat. For space heaters, and any other electrical / extension cords, do not run the cords under carpeting – and make sure each plug fits snug in the outlets.

Electrical compromises in a structure are arched by the cold when the heat is turned up, and any compromise from the thermostat to the igniter of the furnace can cause electrical fires, again causing a lot of smoke and potential structure damage. A good reference site for these hazardous issues is http://www.interfire.org/res_file/92114-10.asp

Fireplace Safety

Creosote buildup in a fireplace is also very dangerous. Most homeowners who rarely use their fire places do not think about having the chimney cleaned. Chimney cleaning should be done periodically, regardless of limited usage, to reduce or minimize creosote buildup, which is highly flammable, causing many of these said house fires.

Please use caution when using clothes dryers, space heaters, extension cords and fire places. Follow their usage and maintenance instructions. Keep dryers clear of lint and fireplaces clear of creosote and all electrical appliances far enough away from other items which could catch fire.

Wishing you a safe winter and holiday season!

Drones for P&C Claims

Ouellette & Associates has been on the leading edge of the utilization of drones for both property and casualty claim assignments.

With our fleet of drones, we are capable of securing images that show the path of a storm and the areas affected; as well as attain close ups to determine if there is roof damage before we rent a boom lift and incur unnecessary expenses to our clients. (See sample images below.)

Many times during truck loss investigations, we are able to fly one of our drones over the impact areas of an on-scene accident before units are pulled apart to reflect impact points. This also allows for a better view to see better how the highway or intersection is designed.

We can also use our drones for risk inspections to confirm number of buildings on a commercial property, as well as cross reference the underwriters inspection to confirm appropriate insurance is in place.

We have used the drones for large crop claims, saving our clients expenses for walking the fields on several hundred acre claims.

We, at Ouellette & Associates, have been the “visionaries” of the use of drones. Allow us the opportunity to be of service to you.

Tornado Touches Down 04/26/16

The National Weather Service confirmed that a small EF O – EF 1 tornado touched down in Worthington, IN which caused damage to several buildings in its one-tenth of a mile path as another round of severe spring storms rolled through central and southern Indiana yesterday evening, 4/26/16. This spring storm was also accompanied by torrential downpours and hail. The reported sizes of the hail have varied from as small as pea-size to as large as baseball-size in diameter.

As the weather pattern remains unsettled, we are expecting more severe weather today, 4/27/16, and thunderstorms into this weekend with localized flooding becoming a concern.

Please remember that our highly trained adjusters at Ouellette & Associates are here 24/7/365 to help!

We are prepared to assist in the handling of any property or GL losses these storms may have caused.

From our four office locations, OUELLETTE & ASSOCIATES, covers the entire state of Indiana and adjacent counties.

We have competitive hourly rates and can even work from your pre-existing fee schedule. We will handle the claim and charge the way you prefer.

Please email any assignments directly to me at matto@ouelletteandassociates.com.

We will keep you posted as weather events take place – and greatly appreciate the opportunity to handle your claims.

2016 Spring Storm Damage Potentials

With El Nino still in full effect this spring, The Weather Channel states they believe the Ohio Valley will be experiencing drier than normal conditions, but they also remind us that inclement weather can happen at any time. We, at Ouellette & Associates, know that when these storms happen, it can cause a number of weather related issues for our clients. Therefore, we have put together some helpful information we would like to share with you.

We feel that the following weather conditions are the most important ones to focus on during this season and have shared a few tips below to help you better prepare.

HAIL

Hail is prevalent in the Midwest, specifically in Indiana, this time of year. Hail conditions can happen throughout the summer, and it’s even possible to have winter hail storms.

Hail has various patterns where the weather conditions are aligned to form hail stones the size of golf balls and larger. These large hail stones are the type that typically cause the most damage, while smaller hail stones usually result in minimal damage.

When the hail storms do fall, they have a starting and stopping point whereas there can be a “bath” that is 1-20 miles in length but maybe only 100 yards in width. There is also the possibility of on
e side of a street affected but not the other.

When these hail storms take place, many roofing companies send out crews and begin a mass marketing campaign advertising “free inspections” in and around the area that has been affected. Although, many times, when an experienced adjuster inspects the roof that “is damaged from hail,” they find that the diameter of the hail was not large enough to cause damage, and the on-roof inspection and test squares completed by the adjuster did not find hail damage.

There are times when hail damage is significant, though, and we at Ouellette & Associates, work with the contractor of the insured’s choice to reach an agreed estimate based on local material and labor costs.

Once claims are paid, “neighboritice” sets in, and most everyone in the neighborhood begins to turn claims in to their insurance companies. As previously stated, there is a starting and stopping point of damage caused by hail. Therefore, a home or commercial building on one side of the street may have significant property damage, and the property on the other side may have little to no damage at all.

This is why it is important to have these roofs inspected by trained adjusters rather than just taking the contractor’s estimate and a few images. Indemnity payments will far outweigh loss adjustment expense.

TORNADO, FLAT-LINE WIND, WATER DAMAGE

As you can see from the illustrations above, this is the time of year for spring storms that cause various types of covered perils. At Ouellette & Associates, we have a staff of qualified Property Adjusters to inspect, confirm cause, and perform a coverage analysis to make recommendations.

Tornados, like hail, have specific paths. However, the areas surrounding the tornado can also have severe damage from straight-line winds, and the perimeter of damage can be a radius of miles with damage varying from very minor to severe.

Water damage from these storms must be inspected for cause of entry, and then it must be determined if the entry cause is from a covered peril.

With having inspected storm claims for an average of 30 years, our staff can inspect this claim and make the appropriate recommendations.

DRONE INSPECTION OVERVIEW

With the use of our drones for inspections, we are able to assist in getting an overview of the affected areas, as well as initial inspection of those roof systems that would otherwise require a Boom Lift. Therefore, we are able to use our drone to inspect the damage of a roof at a fraction of the cost during the inspection process. At which time we engage the contractor of choice of the insured to incur the expense of a Boom Lift to complete a joint inspection to reach an agreed upon scope and estimate. Drones for Roof Inspections - Indiana Claims Service

We, at Ouellette & Associates, wish you and your families a happy and safe Spring and Summer season! Remember, if you do need an Independent Adjustment firm in Indiana or surrounding counties, please visit our website www.IndianaClaimsService.com and assign a claim.