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Flooding, whether due to a burst
riverbank, flash flood or broken water main is a
traumatic and frightening experience.
No matter where the flood water
came from, it will be contaminated with sewage
and/or other pollutants. Extensive sanitation
following 'stripping out' will therefore be required
before dehumidifiers are installed and the drying
process commences.
The drying out of a flooded
property is a specialist operation; too much heat
and rapid drying can cause shrinkage and more damage
to the property than the flood water itself.
Insufficient drying and a lack of anti-fungal
treatment before refurbishment work commences can
lead to wet & dry rot problems in the future -
problems which are not, incidentally, covered by
your insurance policy.
Many other issues also need to be
addressed, such as:
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Where do you stay while repairs
are being carried out?
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How long will it take?
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Do you have to use the
insurance company's surveyors and contractors?
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Who decides what work needs to
be done?
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How will you know if the work
is being carried out correctly?
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Who will prepare the contents
and compensation claims?
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How will you know you're
getting what you're entitled to?
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Who will co-ordinate the claims
and deal with the daily telephone calls,
meetings with the insurance company, loss
adjuster, surveyor, contractors, suppliers etc?
Unless you appoint a claims
consultant like Morgan Clark, you as the
policyholder are responsible for all of the above -
and a lot more besides.
Don't forget - the loss adjuster
works for the insurance company and is only
interested in looking at the costs once they have
been presented to him. He is not responsible for
preparing your claim.
Even if outwardly friendly and
helpful, the loss adjuster reports to the insurance
company and must settle the claim as economically as
he can. Unless you happen to be an insurance expert
yourself, you simply won't know whether what he is
telling you is correct or not, or whether you are
getting what you're entitled to.
Even if you're able to reach
agreement with the loss adjuster, it is becoming
increasingly common for the insurance company to
reject their recommendations and try to adjust the
claim downwards.
Engaging specialists like Morgan
Clark to look after your interests is the only way
you can be truly sure that your property is
reinstated correctly, and that you receive your full
entitlement in all respects.
For a no obligation review of your
claim by an experienced consultant, please call us
on 0800 0975156 right now, or take a minute to
complete our online
enquiry
form.
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