Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Indiana Area Disaster Recovery Tips

Do…

• Once you are allowed back on the premises, check your insurance policy and get in touch with an agent for information on how to proceed with your claim.
• Turn off gas, water, and electricity when confronted with a flooded basement.
• If possible, take photographs of damaged items and property for your insurance claim.
• Contact the appropriate professionals immediately if you suspect damage to water, gas, electric, or sewer lines.
• Throw away food that has come in contact with the elements, including flood water and ash.
• Remove any valuable items to a safe place.
• Contact a disaster cleanup and restoration company immediately. Wet carpeting, furniture, bedding, and any other items holding moisture or water inside the building can develop mold within 24 to 48 hours.

Do Not…

• Re-enter your home before checking for structural damage.
• If the fire department turns off your utilities (water, electricity, and gas) before they leave, it means they are unsafe to use. Do not try to turn them back on by yourself as this could be very dangerous and cause further damage to your home.
• Attempt to clean carpet and drapes. In many cases they will have to be removed. Drying without decontaminating does not remove mold spores.
• Turn on anything with an electric current if you smell natural gas, including telephone or light switches. Any small spark can cause a fire.
• Leave wet fabrics in place; dry as soon as possible. Hang furs and leather goods to dry separately at room temperature.
• Use your household vacuum to remove water or ash.
• Use TVs or other appliances while standing on wet carpet or floors, especially not on wet concrete floors. Electrical appliances will need to be cleaned and checked.
• Turn on ceiling fixtures if ceiling is wet, and keep out of rooms where ceilings sag from retained water.
• Send textiles to an ordinary dry cleaner. Improper cleaning may set smoke and odor into the textiles.

Understanding the Claim Process

For people experiencing a disaster for the first time, navigating through your insurance company’s claims process can be cumbersome. For more than 16 years, Brock Restoration has worked closely with property owners and insurance companies to complete the process quickly and efficiently. Brock Restoration offers the following five step guide to help simplify submitting and working through your claim:

Step 1: Submit your claim

You can submit your claim through your insurance agent and often through a select representative of your insurance provider. Typically you may submit your claim in several different ways, including over the telephone or over the internet. In most cases, you will talk to your agent who then provides you with direction and, in some cases, submits the claim on your behalf.

Step 2: Property adjuster assigned

Following the submission and filing of a claim, your insurance company will assign a property adjuster to assess your claim. While this is the most common scenario, your insurance company’s claims process may differ. The assigned property adjuster will usually meet you at your home or property to inspect the damage and then move forward with settling the claim.

Step 3: Look into your insurance policy

Understanding your insurance policy is a vital step to the process. One of the items often overlooked within a property policy is the necessity and responsibility of the property owner to prevent further damage to the property. With that said, it becomes the home owner’s responsibility to communicate with your insurance carrier, and if necessary, submit a claim without delay. Staying in your home may be unsafe, resulting in additional costs for food, lodging, etc. You will need to keep track of all associated expenses, as you may need to submit receipts as part of the claim for reimbursement.

Step 4: Brock Restoration takes it from here

Understand that in most cases, it takes time for your insurance company to process and settle the claim after submission. Several factors contribute to the length of processing time. Some claims may take as little as days, and others take months to go through from beginning to end.

Regardless of time frame, Brock Restoration acts quickly to minimize the impact on your home and family. We work with your insurance provider on every aspect of your claim to save time and expedite the repair process. Our goal is to return your property to pre-loss condition as soon as possible.

Step 5: The work is finished – what’s next?

When the repair process winds down and restoration nears completion, you may wonder about how to handle billing. In most cases, the insurance provider will pay the restoration contractor directly. However, your insurance provider may work a little differently. In some instances, the provider issues a check to the property or home owner. In this situation, the homeowner would make the payment to the restoration contractor upon completion of the work.

Ultimately, your insurance provider may hold you responsible for paying your deductible, usually collected by the selected contractor before work begins. Familiarize yourself with your policy to ensure you pay the proper deductible, if required.

Brock Restoration has over 16 years of experience working with insurance providers and homeowners. Feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have regarding claims. Call us at (513)-214-3879 or send us your contact information for a call back.