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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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