Public Service Announcement
As Maryland and Washington D.C. are at the heart of the most intense part of the winter storm Jonas that is bringing record amounts of snow and blizzard conditions not seen in many peoples lifetimes, As a Public Adjuster and an Insurance Restoration contractor that deals with insurance claims and property damage on a daily basis I wanted to offer some things for Homeowner’s and Business Owner’s to think about and keep in mind regarding safety and property damage.
Here are some things to think about as we endure Mother Nature’s beauty and wrath.
1.) The weight of snow, ice and water can cause substantial property damage to Flat Roofs, Low Pitched Roofs, Carports, Sheds, Decks, etc… These structure’s may not be rated for the weight (loads) that they may have on them due to Winter Storm Jonas.
2.) Low sustained temperatures can cause property damage as a result of Freezing or frozen pipes. Commonly called Freeze Damage. Pipes will often fail, burst, split or separate as a result. This then cause water to escape from that system which can cause water damage. 
3.) Back Up of Sewer or Drains and Sump Pump Failure or Overflow can happen from power outages or loss of power, mechanical failure or even from inundation as things start to melt.
4.) Most people don’t know but there is what we in the industry actually call a fire season. The amount of structure fires tend to spike between November and March. Primarily due to more time being spent inside, fire places and wood burning stove’s being used, furnace’s being turned on for the first time that season, Christmas trees and Christmas lights, candle usage etc… Make sure you have properly functioning Smoke and Carbon Monoxide alarms. There were nearly 500,000 structure fires in 2014 (Latest Statistics available). Cooking equipment was the number one cause with Heating equipment following in second place. With fires also typically comes large amounts of water damage.
5.) Ice Dams can cause serious damage to roofing materials and the interiors of homes, buildings or structures. An Ice Dam is when ice backs up underneath the roofing materials and ultimately causes damage by the ice itself and the inevitable melting of the backed up ice, which can cause water damage to interior components also as a result.
These are just a few things off the top of my head that homeowner’s and business owner’s need to be mindful of.
These types of property damage should typically be covered by the most common types of property or homeowner’s insurance. Having said that, there may be certain exclusions that would appear to limit or may disallow coverage. I have seen more than enough insurance claims that were either completely DENIED or PARTIALLY DENIED that were indeed covered. Insurance company’s NOT properly paying claims or underpaying insurance claims, in the industry we call this low-balling, is more common than most people think. I deal with these things on a daily basis. Insurance policies are complex and confusing documents that are created by the insurance company, to which you have no say over. They are essentially a take it or leave it proposition.
Should you or someone you know suffer some type of loss I would strongly urge that you contact us 410-627-6653 for a FREE CONSULTATION.
We are Maryland licensed Public Adjuster’s. Insurance Appraiser’s and Insurance Restoration Contractor’s. We DO NOT represent any insurance company or sell any type of insurance.
We represent Homeowner’s or Business Owner’s that have suffered some type of property damage insurance loss. Why you may ask? Because you are at a serious disadvantage if you try to go it alone against your insurance company. Our job is to make sure that you are properly and fully compensated for your insurance loss. WE WORK FOR YOU EXCLUSIVELY. We work to get you everything that you are rightfully and legally entitled to.
We handle ALL types of property damage insurance claims. House Fire’s, Water Damage, Wind Damage, Storm Damage, Collapse, etc…etc…etc…
The insurance company has THEIR insurance adjuster looking out for THEIR best interest, shouldn’t you have someone looking out for your best interest.
Even if you are not sure if you have an insurance claim, please feel free to give us a call for a FREE Consultation.
The best part for you is that We work on a contingency fee basis. So, if we get you nothing, you owe us nothing.
You have nothing to loss and everything to gain. We handle it all for you. Inspections, Documentation, Paperwork Processing, Estimating, Scoping of Damages, Contents Inventorying, Meeting with insurance company adjusters and representatives, negotiating a fair and proper settlement / recovery for you. All to make sure you are properly handled.
Check out our testimonials page at Testimonials.
I hope you found this information helpful. If you have any questions you can call us at 410-627-6653 or email us at icsclaims@comcast.net
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