North Carolina Earthquake Insurance Claim Process Starts

Tampa (June 12, 2017) – A small earthquake rattled Western North Carolina a few days ago. Despite being 2.6 magnitude, the earthquake did cause enough damage in Wilkes county that will force many property owners to start the insurance claim process.

As business and homeowners begin to assess their damages to file claims for earthquake damage, public insurance adjuster firm, Insurance Claim Consultants (ICC), has complied tips to help expedite and navigate the insurance claim process.

“First and foremost, get out your policy or immediately request one from your insurance company or agent,” said Ronald F. Delo, founder and president of ICC, “and read it carefully. Many property owners in North Carolina may have not purchased earthquake coverage. Verify your coverage and do not assume anything.”

In addition to requesting a certified copy of the insurance policy, Delo suggests the following:

• Secure Your Property: It could take days or even a few weeks for the insurance company adjuster to make a visit to your property. Secure your property and mitigate damages by tarping or boarding up any breaches.
• Photograph: Take pictures of all damages big and small. Do not start to repair earthquake damages until you have a claim plan in place, or until you have at least consulted with a reputable public adjuster. Doing so could jeopardize your claim.
• Additional Earthquake Insurance Claim tips can be found here: https://www.insuranceclaimconsultants.com/claims-101/the-insurance-claims-process/

Delo encourages people to be vigilant and ask questions. “Earthquake claims are historically slow moving and complex. Ask your insurance company the right questions and know that so much in the claim process can be negotiated. Do not settle at your own expense,” he said.

“There’s usually a large distinction between the monetary OFFER versus what the insurance company should pay for a claim. An experienced public adjuster should be able properly value and negotiate a maximized settlement for your earthquake damage.”

Public adjusters are licensed by the North Carolina Department of Insurance. A public adjuster is licensed to assist individual policyholders, not insurance companies. Reputable and experienced public adjusters are experts in understanding and analyzing insurance policies, estimating the scope of damages and applying all policy coverages, all of which maximize the settlement recovery and in most cases speed up the claims process.

Insurance Claim Consultants Inc. is public adjuster firm located in Tampa, FL with operations throughout the U.S. , the firm works exclusively for the policyholder, ensuring maximum settlement amounts are paid based upon the damage and policy provisions unique to each insurance claim. The Tampa-based firm is headed by Ronald F. Delo an insurance industry expert featured by national media such as CNN, NBC, ABC and The New York Times.www.InsuranceClaimConsultants.com