Car Insurance Secrets 2002
 

   

Managing Your Disaster Recovery With The Plan and Confidence

Ron Alford

© 1999 2003  All Rights Reserved in all media

Fires, hurricanes, earthquakes,  tornadoes and water related disasters create multiple problems for victims. All of these problems must be recognized and overcome in order to fully recover.

When insurance reimbursement is involved, a victim's recovery must be divided into two major projects to avoid confusion, delays and being shortchanged in the process.

What if you are the victim?

The rebuilding and restoration process is everything you must do in order to get back to normal.  Your first order of business is to clearly understand that it is your total and complete responsibility to manage your recovery process from the beginning to the end. The longer it takes you to understand and implement this rule, the more it will cost you in money, lost time and aggravation.

False Expectations

A major downfall for disaster victims is the expectation that their insurance company cares about you and will come to your aid. This illusion only serves to profit insurance companies by allowing them to waste your time and lowering   the amounts they have to pay and extending the time that they finally settle.

Your lost time is valuable but not covered in your contract therefore, it is best to rise to the occasion, take charge and get it done. To this end, it is imperative for you to know that the actual costs of repairs and restoration services are the factors that drive and determine the amounts that the insurance company is obligated to pay. Said another way. It is your job to document your losses by aggressively undertaking the restoration process and demanding that your insurance company advance the funds necessary to cover the covered expenses as they are documented.

The Financial Recovery Process

The financial recovery process is organizing, implementing the tasks to be done and documenting your expenses and the related covered losses you incur in the process. The sum of these expenses determines the amount of your claim to be reimbursed or paid directly by your insurer.

The Claim Game Traps

The claims process is loaded with traps but the insurer's most effective trap is consumer ignorance about the claims process. As such, victims almost always become intimidated and reach out to their adversaries insurer for information and advice. All too often the victims time and the quality of the restoration process is reduced by and through the efforts of the insurer and its staff of professional claims adjusters, contractors and the insurer's legal department.

Ignorance Creates Intimidation

Because of ignorance, victims become intimidated and then fear undertaking the process in a timely manner. Being intimidated victims become reactive rather than active. Not a good idea.

In the recovery process, it is best to avoid at all costs the FREE advice of commissioned insurance salespersons,  strangers, insurance adjusters, contractors and opportunity seekers who come out of the woodwork. Most have some hidden agenda.

Ideally you would be better prepared to endure any insurance claim when you have been insurance educated by professional consumer's advocates and a member of The Consumer's Action Plan.

 

Physical Recovery

Physical Recovery must be sub-divided into two categories projects.

Structure  and/or  Contents

The physical recovery process are the  necessary actions to select and mange   emergency services, safeguard the remaining assets, selecting qualified  contractors, getting written bids, letting contracts, on-site contractor management, manage, manage, manage.

The talent needed to provide structure or contents restoration is not easy to find.

Most of all, the attention to detail and understanding that water damage losses are ongoing and must be completely arrested to preclude mold, mildew damages at some point in the future.

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  Financial Recovery

Financial  Recovery must be divided into two major claims.

Structural and Contents

Providing you are adequately insured, you  must concurrently document and create a creditable insurance claim and have the wherewithal to negotiate with insurance companies personnel. 

The presentation of your loss must be in detailed form and divided into the categories above. In addition, there are other additional claims that will need to be presented as well such as: extra living expenses and other insured matters.

It pays to retain a profession loss control consultant to coach and advise you on the exact method to avoid denials or delays.

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Information and advice from insurance adjusters, contractors and others who have a financial stake in your recovery should be carefully scrutinized before you take any action or inaction.

The longer it takes you do get organized and undertake your recovery the more it is going to cost you in lost time, (which is never compensated) and real dollars.

When a victim does not have the time or the wherewithal to manage the recovery process   a professional Loss Control consultant or Project manager may be the answer.   In most cases, a professional justifies his or her expense by in the savings of time and the assurance of  QUALITY recovery.

 The very first thing that victims must do is to take on the role of a project manager or to hire one.  The recovery project will include the skills necessary to safeguard any property that remains which includes the contents and the structure of the damage building. 

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