COVID-19 has affected many aspects of your everyday life. Your income may have been impacted, your communication with others is hindered, and your way of life overall.
But that hasn’t affected anything with the way your property is run and maintained. COVID-19 hasn’t stopped water heaters from bursting, or fires from starting. And with social distancing and the scare of contracting the disease being at the top of everyone’s mind, remote inspections can be vital.
How remote inspections work
Times are certainly changing. Luckily, the technology boom took place just prior to the Coronavirus outbreak, allowing companies to quickly adjust. And the insurance industry has done the same.
With the quality of video that can be shot on camera phones, property owners are able to take pictures and videos of damage that occurs. This can be done immediately following the event that causes the damage.
This video can be sent to an insurance adjuster who can then conduct a remote inspection based on the footage. Drone footage is also used for aerial shots, which can be beneficial for flooding and/or roof damage.
In the traditional method of insurance adjusting, public adjusters would work around the clock, especially after a storm. Adjusters work for the property owner, not the insurance company, so they empathize with the owner’s situation. And remote inspections allow public adjusters like me to better assist clients by eliminating drive times and physical walkthroughs.
Steps to take when damage occurs at your property
With hurricane season quickly approaching, property owners will be happy to know that this option is available. This will reduce the typically long wait times for an insurance carrier to conduct a property inspection after a storm. Especially during a time where social distancing may hinder the process even more than before.
If damage occurs inside your home or on your insured property, the most important thing to do is to take pictures right away. However, making sure all the damage is done is important, too. If your home is flooding due to a pipe burst, shut off the water valve and wait for the water to stop pouring in before taking pictures for your remote inspections.
Once you have gathered all the images and photos, contact a licensed insurance adjuster. The remote inspection process will begin from there, where the adjuster will move forward with your virtual paperwork.
When sending pictures and photos, it is ideal to have “before” pictures as well. This will not only help to emphasize the extent of the damage to your property, but will also help with conducting an inventory of the belongings inside your home.
If “before” pictures aren’t available, keeping track of your belongings via an inventory list is a great idea. I highly suggest keeping one of these on-hand in the event of an unforeseen circumstance.
Need help with a remote inspection?
Are you in need of a public adjuster? You don’t need to wait for the pandemic to fade away. Give me a call at (305) 401-6222. I will gladly help walk you through the steps to moving forward with your remote inspections.