Milwaukee, Wis. – Natural disasters can leave homeowners with flooding, roof damage, and plumbing issues. Vehicles can get flooded and sustain tree damage. As the cleanup begins, homeowners and vehicle owners need to figure out their next steps and how they will pay for repairs. They must navigate insurance claims and policies as they assess the damage. The Better Business Bureau offers these tips to consumers working with insurance:
- Call your agent. The first thing you should do is call your insurance agent directly. They can help you review your policy, understand what is covered, and tell you how much time you have to file a claim.
- Gather materials. You will likely have an adjuster come to inspect the damage to determine how much your insurance company will pay for the loss. You can help this process by preparing a list of damaged items, providing any available receipts of damaged items, and taking photos of structural damage.
- Check contractors. If your insurance company recommends a contractor, take time to review their business profile on BBB.org before hiring them.
- Protect insurance checks. Although it may seem easier, do not sign your insurance checks over to contractors. Get an invoice and pay them directly and be sure to get written receipts for any payments made. Do not sign any contracts or documents that give the contractor any rights to your insurance claims. And remember, it is against the law for a contractor to offer to waive an insurance deductible and work the deductible amount into a bid.
Be wary of storm chasers and learn how to avoid them.
Read BBB’s tips on hiring a tree service company or hiring a trustworthy contractor.
For more, visit us at BBB.org.For more information or further inquiries, contact the Wisconsin BBB at www.bbb.org/wisconsin, 414-847-6000 or 1-800-273-1002. Consumers also can find more information about how to protect themselves from scams by following the Wisconsin BBB on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
ABOUT BBB: For more than 100 years, the Better Business Bureau has been helping people find businesses, brands and charities they can trust. In 2020, people turned to BBB more than 220 million times for BBB Business Profiles on 6.2 million businesses and Charity Reports on 11,000 charities, all available for free at BBB.org. There are local, independent BBBs across the United States, Canada and Mexico, including BBB Serving Wisconsin which was founded in 1939 and serves the state of Wisconsin.
