>>BRUCE HAMILTON: IN BULLDOZE, FLORIDA PASSED THROUGH LEAVING A PATH OF DESTRUCTION. DAMAGE
ESTIMATES AS HIGH AS
47 BILLION DOLLARS RIGHT NOW.
IT MAY BE ONE OF THE MOST
EXPENSIVE STORMS IN U.S.
HISTORY. AND IF YOU’RE FILING
A YOU MAY HAVE QUESTIONS. SO
LET’S GET YOU SOME ANSWERS.
JOINING ME ON THE MORNING SHOW
INSURANCE AGENCY OWNER BILLY
WAGNER FROM BRIGHT WAY. GOOD
MORNING. APPRECIATE YOU BEING
HERE. THANK YOU. MY PLEASURE.
SO THE FIRST THING YOU’RE
GOING TO NEED IS DOCUMENTATION
THAT DOCUMENTATION COMES IN A
NUMBER OF FORMS. YEAH. THE
BEST THING YOU CAN DO IS TO
TAKE PICTURES A LOT OF PHOTOS.
>> GET START GETTING YOUR
STUFF TOGETHER. IF YOU HAVE
ANY EXPENSES THAT WERE A
RESULT OF THE HURRICANE, SAVE
THOSE RECEIPTS AND KEEP THEM
ALL TOGETHER AND START GETTING
GETTING YOURSELF IN A PLACE
WHERE YOU’RE STARTING TO
PREVENT ANY FURTHER DAMAGE AND
GETTING THAT INSURANCE, 5
O’CLOCK FILE RIGHT AWAY SINCE
THE EVENT WAS IF YOU HAD TO
EVACUATE, YOU HAVE A HOTEL
BILL. KEEP THAT RECEIVES.
WELL, ALL RIGHT. WHAT’S THE
BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE
WHEN THEY’RE FILING A CLAIM
YOU KNOW, MAKE BASICALLY
MAKING SURE THAT THEY ARE
WORKING WITH REPUTABLE PEOPLE.
IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE
TRUE. WITH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE
SAYING THAT THEY CAN HELP YOU
AND ALL THAT, NOT NOT FALLING
FOR THAT. BUT WHEN YOU FILE A
CLAIM IT’S GETTING IT DONE
EARLY AND MAKING THAT CLAIM A
RIGHT AWAY SO THAT WE CAN GET
THE PROCESS STARTED BECAUSE
INSURANCE COMPANIES WILL WORK
THESE IN THE ORDER THEY ARE
FILED AND BASED ON SEVERITY.
SO THE BEST THING TO DO IS TO
GET FIRED RIGHT AWAY. AND THEN
PEOPLE ARE GOING TO COME
KNOCKING ON YOUR DOOR SAYING,
HEY, WE CAN HELP YOU SIGNED
THIS. DON’T SIGN ANYTHING,
RIGHT? WHAT YOU’RE DOING. A
SIGNING YOUR RIGHTS AWAY TO
SOMEBODY ELSE AND YOU DON’T
WANT TO DO THAT. SO WITHOUT
TALKING TO AN EXPERT, MAKE
SURE THAT, YOU KNOW ALL THE
FACTS AND DON’T SIGN ANYTHING
WITHOUT WITHOUT EXACTLY
KNOWING WHAT IT IS. NOW, THIS
IS THE BIG ABOUT THE BIGGEST
BUGABOO. THERE WAS A LOT OF
FLOODING WITHIN IF YOU DID NOT
HAVE FLOOD INSURANCE, YOU MAY
BE UP THE CREEK. PARDON THE
PUN HERE WITHOUT A PADDLE.
YEAH, IT’S IT’S WHAT KEEPS ME
UP AT NIGHT AS AN INSURANCE
AGENT WERE TRYING TO PROTECT
PEOPLE AND FLORIDA BEING FLAT
SURROUNDED BY WATER AND PRONE
TO HURRICANES. THE FLOOD RISK
IS REALLY THE BIGGEST RISK AND
A LOT OF TIMES AND WHAT
HAPPENS IS IN A STORM AS THEY
WILL DRAW A LINE ON YOUR HOUSE
WHERE THAT WATER DAMAGE
HAPPENED AND EVERYTHING BELOW
THAT WATER LINE IS COVERED BY
FLOOD INSURANCE AND EVERYTHING
ELSE IS COVERED BY HURRICANE
WITHOUT THAT FLOOD INSURANCE
COVERAGE, YOU REALLY THERE’S A
BIG GAP IN YOUR COVERAGE IF
THEY COME BACK AND SAY YOU
DIDN’T FLOOD INSURANCE, DO YOU
HAVE ANY RECOURSE? NO, I MEAN,
REALLY, YOU DO IF THERE’S IF
IT’S TRULY FLOOD DAMAGE, YOU
DO NOT HAVE ANY RECOURSE.
THERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU CAN
DO. FEMA HAS PUT A PROGRAM
TOGETHER WHERE THAT YOU CAN
APPLY FOR UP TO $37,000 AND
AID AND HELP IN THAT REGARD.
IF THAT’S THE CASE. BUT
REGARDLESS, THAT’S SOMETHING
THAT’S REALLY IMPORTANT IS IS
MAKING SURE YOU’RE COVERED FOR
FLOOD ABOUT UNCOVERED LOSSES.
ANY PLACE TO TURN FOR HELP.
SAME THING THAT FEMA HAS A
PROGRAM AS WELL. SO YOU CAN
REGISTER WITH FEMA ONLINE AND
SAY, HEY, I’VE GOT DAMAGE
THAT’S COVERED OR NOT THE ONE
THING THAT I WILL ALSO SAY IS
THIS STORM. WE GOT LUCKY. IT
DIDN’T HIT US THE WAY THAT IT
COULD HAVE RIGHT. BUT IF YOU
DO HAVE SOME DAMAGE AND WE’VE
HAD CLAIMS OVER THE WEEKEND
AND ON FRIDAY, MAKE SURE YOU
FILE THE CLAIM, EVEN IF IT’S A
SMALL AMOUNT OF DAMAGE BECAUSE
THAT HURRICANE DEDUCTIBLE
APPLIES TO ANOTHER STORM IF IT
HAPPENS. SO IT MAY BE
UNDERNEATH YOUR DEDUCTIBLE,
BUT IT COULD APPLY TO THE NEXT
STORM BECOMES. ARE YOU GONNA
COVER? WHAT INSURANCE COMPANY
COMES BACK? GIVES YOU A
SETTLEMENT CHECK AND GO. I
THINK THIS IS NOT FAIR OR ITS
WAY SHORT. GREAT QUESTION. AND
SO THERE’S A LOT OF STRATEGIES
ALONG THOSE LINES. FIRST
THING, CALL YOUR INSURANCE
AGENT AND TALK TO THEM ABOUT
IT AND SAY THIS IS WHAT I
FEEL. THE ADJUSTERS MAKING
THAT DECISION AND PUTTING THE
INFORMATION TOGETHER. YOU HAVE
TO MAKE ANOTHER CASE. AND SO
YOU GET ANOTHER ESTIMATE FROM
A CONTRACTOR THAT SAYS, HEY,
THIS IS ACTUALLY MORE
EXPENSIVE THAN IT WAS. YOU
SUBMIT THAT DOCUMENTATION. IF
YOU STILL GET A NO, THERE’S
WHAT’S CALLED MEDIATION, WHICH
YOU CAN DO ONLINE. AND IT’S A
FREE SERVICE INDEPENDENT
MEDIATOR LOOKS AT YOUR CASE
AND DECIDES OK, I CAN GIVE YOU
A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY HERE
AND THEN THAT’S WHAT WHAT
HAPPENS. AND I’VE GOT TO ASK
YOU THIS.
>>BRUCE HAMILTON: THERE IS
ANOTHER STORM THAT’S GOING TO
HIT US. WE DODGED A BULLET
HERE. THIS IS THE TIME TO SIT
BACK AND ASSESS YOUR SITUATION
AND EVALUATE YOUR INSURANCE
LIABILITY. YEAH. LIKE YOU
SAID, WE GOT REALLY LUCKY ON
THIS ONE. I WAS AT THE BEACH
AND SAW THE DUNES WERE VERY
CLOSE TO COMING IN. AND SO
WHAT YOU WHAT’S REALLY
IMPORTANT IS JUST BE PREPARED
FOR THE NEXT TIME. TAKE SOME
PICTURES OF YOUR INSURANCE
POLICIES. HAVE YOUR POLICY
NUMBER AND YOUR INSURANCE
COVERAGE LOOKED AT. LOOK AT
WHAT YOU HAVE FOR FLOOD
INSURANCE. YOU KNOW, EVEN IF
THERE’S A WAY TO SAVE COSTS
AND ADD FLOOD INSURANCE, I
WOULD LOOK AT DOING THAT
BECAUSE IT’S A VERY BIG
EXPOSURE. BUT JUST GET
YOURSELF READY. HAVE YOUR HAVE
YOUR STUFF REPAIRED. WE GOT
LUCKY ON THIS ONE, BUT LET’S
MAKE SURE WE’RE MORE PREPARED
FOR THE NEXT ONE. EVEN IF