Water Damage Claim issue. No Adjuster Response Andrew Young asked 2 years ago
Water Damage Claim issue. No Adjuster Response

Hi,

I recently had a pipe leak that caused water damage in our kitchen. We filed a claim and instantly called a water restoration company to clean up the mess and begin drying the wood to prevent further damage. An independent adjuster came by and completed a repair estimate for insurance company. He said that insurance should cover the water restoration expense as well, and that we just had to pay plumber to fix the pipe. We were waiting to hear from the insurance company to discuss the repair estimate. We ended getting an email stating we will be receiving a check for $12,000 in the mail for the repair estimate. We called/emailed to attempt to discuss how we arrived at that figure but no response. We are now planing on doing the work to save money and be able to afford the repairs. Now 3 weeks after the water restoration company completed their work we received an invoice for $7,000. They stated they were going to bill the insurance company, but my guess is they got no response so they then sent us the bill. I have tried multiple times to contact the claim adjuster via email and phone to pay the invoice but get no response. What are the next steps I should take to make sure we do not have to cover the $7,000 bill out of pocket? I have read our policy and I believe that have water damage restoration should be covered to prevent further damage. How do I best go about getting the insurance company to cover the bill?

Thanks,

Andrew

1 Answers
Rich Csaposs Rich Csaposs Expert answered 2 years ago
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Hi Andrew: I am sorry that you are having difficulty receiving a response from your insurance adjuster. From your description, it sounds like the independent adjuster sent a report to the insurance carrier which prompted them to send you an email stating that they were going to issue a payment of $12,000. The insurance company has to provide you with the basis for the payment and it may or may not include the $7,000 charged by the restoration company. However, you should confirm this fact so that you are not out-of-pocket!! When an adjuster is unresponsive, I find that the best way to get a response is to try and contact the adjuster’s supervisor or claim department head using your claim number as a reference. Keep a log of your attempted contacts with the adjuster and supervisors as evidence to show that there has been no response. Keep working up the administrative ladder until you receive a response. You can also keep the restoration company aware of your attempts so that they can be patient in waiting for you to be reimbursed for their invoice. Good Luck!!