BREAK-IN, HOME INVASION, THEFT & VANDALISM INSURANCE CLAIMS
CALL THE EXPERTS AT OCEAN POINT CLAIMS TO HELP YOU THROUGH THE CLAIMS PROCESS.
Damage from a break-in, theft, home invasion and vandalism
Theft and Vandalism damage occurs often when we least expect it. This type of damage can include break-in damage, broken door damage, broken window / glass damage, home invasion damage and tenant damage. We will assign a private insurance adjuster to assist you in preparing an accurate list of damages for your police report as well as your theft or vandalism insurance claim. Our experienced public adjusters work for you to maximize your vandalism damage insurance claim.
Have you already filed your claim and your insurance company has told you that it is “closed”? We can reopen underpaid and denied claims! Let us help you restore your life and get the money you deserve.
WHAT TO DO AFTER VANDALISM DAMAGE
If you have become a victim of a break-in, home invasion, theft or vandalism it is important to contact Ocean Point right away so that we can dispatch the proper experts to your home or commercial property immediately. It is critical to protect your home or business from further damage. We never charge for advice. Helping the public is what we do! Even if you don’t plan on hiring a public adjuster, we are here to answer your questions. Call us now at 888-824-1306!
We can’t stress this one enough. Take a lot of photos and video of the damage. You can’t take too many photos after theft or vandalism. Photos and video help document your damages. Damages to your home, business and personal property. When taking video, move the camera slower than you think you need to as you may rely on the videos someday if you’re underpaid. Go room by room. Feel free to narrate your video, your words can be very powerful to a jury should your insurance company mishandle your claim.
As soon as possible, notify your insurance company and or insurance agent. Immediately request that a certified copy of your insurance policy be sent to you. This is your insurance contract. You don’t know what you’re covered for if you don’t have your policy. Remember, it may have been damaged by water.
Get a notebook and folder, you must get and remain organized. You will regret this if you don’t. Write down the name and contact information for everyone that you speak with after the loss and during claims process. Again, it is best to start this immediately after the leak or flood. If you do not hire a public adjuster to handle your claim, make sure to make a log of every person, date and time that you speak to at the insurance company. Keep business cards that you receive with these notes. Don’t forget to write down all of your expanses and keep the receipts in your folder.
Don’t sign anything without doing your research or seeking help from a licensed industry expert. Many companies will attempt to pressure you into signing an assignment of benefits form, also known as an AOB. While assigning the benefits of your policy allows the individual to collect their fees from the insurance company directly, these contracts are tricky, and you could be signing away your rights to items such as your personal belongings coverage. These companies may even place a lien on your property if the insurance company doesn’t pay. Do your homework and research as wrong decisions after a leak can have long lasting consequences regarding what you recover from your water damage insurance claim. Your insurance company may present you with blank forms to fill out. Never fill these out without consulting the advice of an expert first. Some of these documents are sworn, such as a proof of loss or POL. Even if you’re not our client, call us anyways, we will provide the best answers for you that we can!
Ocean Point can help start your claim. We will take the stress out of the situation and deal with the insurance company on your behalf. To get started, call us at (888) 824-1306 today!
Help with your vandalism damage claim
Becoming a victim of theft or vandalism can be an unbelievably stressful and emotional event in your life. If you find that your property has been broken into, personal belongings stolen or vandalized property, it in imperative to contact the policy as soon as you can. The insurance company will almost certainly request a police report that documents the facts of the loss as well as the timeline of events. Contacting the authorities can and may be pivotal in the coverage of your claim by your insurance company.
Most theft and/or vandalism insurance claims are covered under your homeowner’s or commercial insurance policy. It is your responsibility as the policyholder, to provide the authorities with all the required, relevant and correct information with regards to your loss as well as the damage. If find additional damages after you’ve filed the police report, the authorities can update the report. Do not wait to contact them and request the update. If your commercial property or business falls victim to this type of loss your claim may be covered for a business interruption insurance claim.
THEFT
Commonly the biggest coverage problem you will run into during your claim is the lack of evidence or a police report. It is always a good idea to photograph and/or take videos of the inside of your home or place of business a few times a year. This will help prove and substantiate the fact that items now missing were once there. The public adjusters at Ocean Point often have to rely on family gathering, birthday party and holiday photos to prove items were owned by you. Example; let’s say that your prized necklace was stolen, and you don’t have a receipt. Finding a photo taken of you during your child’s birthday may be the key to proving ownership to the insurance company.
VANDALISM
Vandalism damage can happen anywhere at any given time. You may immediately think upon finding that you have become a victim, am I covered? Often times the damages and loss incurred from an act of vandalism are covered in your commercial or homeowner’s insurance policies, however; exceptions can happen. Coverage can come into question by your carrier due to the following types of issues. Was anyone home? The home or business was vacant or unoccupied for an extended period of time, say 30-60 day prior to the date of loss. It is important to confirm with your insurance agent that your policy covers you for these instances.
Simple things you can do to prevent Theft or Vandalism:Â
- Maintain your trees and shrubs, keeping them overgrowing and covering windows
- Place your exterior lights on automatic motion or switch timers
- Mount your security lights out of easy reach
- Maintain your standard security measures, such as deadbolts, security system alarms, firmly fasten any wiggling door knobs or locks
- Secure your sliding glass doors, a broomstick in the track can make or break a criminal’s efforts to gain entry
- Keep all windows locked
- Alert the police if you see suspicions activity
- Avoid hiding spare keys
- Install a doorbell camera, the video is cloud based and cannot be stolen when the rest of your things are
