After the Storm is Gone
Some tidbits of info that you may not know about insurance and how it responds
- If a tree falls on your house, or other covered property insurance will pay to have the tree removed but if it falls in your yard and doesn't damage any property, your policy won't cover having the tree removed.
- If you are a small business and suffer direct damage, your loss of business income coverage is activated, if you have been closed because of widespread power outages, loss of business income won't apply.
- Your hurricane deductible on your home insurance is a cumulative deductible (usually a % of the amount of insurance you have on your home) So, if you have a $100,000 house with a 2% hurricane deductible then you have a $2000 hurricane deductible. If you have minor damage that doesn't meet your deductible keep good records of your expenses because if we have another storm you can use those expenses to apply towards the deductible. Also your hurricane deductible is a season deductible, so you don't have to pay it more than once per hurricane season.
- Mortgage Information is critical to keep current. Claim payments are issued to the mortgage company and the owner. Can you imagine how long it could take to get a claim payment reissued because it had the incorrect mortgage company listed on it?
- Flooding is not covered by a typical property insurance policy. You need separate flood insurance to protect you against damage due to flooding.
- If your neighbor's tree falls on your house, your policy covers it.
- If you have a basketball hoop (or any other portable items) and wind blows the item onto a customer's car, the customers insurance covers it.
- If a tree falls on your house but there is no hurricane out there (or has been gone for more than 72 hours), your regular deductible applies.
A word for the Attorney's-All of these statements are general in nature. Please consult your actual policy documents for coverage determination. These are common situations that come up, but your policy may respond differently.
As always if you have questions, or would like to discuss your coverage in detail, please don't hesitate to give us a call or email or visit our website at www.hillcrestinsurance.com
The Protection Team at Hillcrest Insurance