What are your options if your property is stolen or your home is damaged?

If your home is damaged or you have property stolen by a thief, you should notify your insurance company as soon as possible.  When the nature of the damage or theft exposes your home or personal items to further damage, you should take “emergency precautions” to mitigate the risk of additional damage.  If windows in your home have been shattered, this might necessitate boarding up the windows to prevent further damage caused by wind, rain, or theft.  While you should not postpone making these repairs, your policy generally will provide compensation for amounts spent to mitigate the damage.  It is advisable to contact the insurance company to clear any mitigation measures before implementing the repairs because the insurance company has a right to inspect the home prior to repairs being performed.

What should you do if you cause injury to another individual?

Liability coverage, which is an important component of your homeowner’s insurance policy, provides compensation for injuries and property damage suffered by another individual because of your negligence.  This type of claim involves injury and property damage that is unrelated to operation of a motor vehicle.  The injury can occur on the premises or away from the property.  If you are the defendant in a lawsuit arising out of your negligent conduct in causing a fire or a slip and fall accident at your home, for example, you should notify a representative of your insurance carrier promptly.

Are your elderly mom’s personal items covered by your homeowner’s policy if she lives in your home?

Generally, your aging parent or teen away at school will be the beneficiary of protection for his or her personal property.  However, the extent of this coverage may vary, so you should talk to your insurance agent.

How should you inventory your property?

The optimal approach is to prepare the inventory prior to the loss.  While preparing an inventory prior to a catastrophe can be a relatively simple matter, preparing this type of documentation is much more difficult when faced with the stress that accompanies such a calamity.  Generally, people do not keep careful track of furniture, dishware and other household or personal items.  The inventory of items should include a photo, serial number and cost of personal property where possible.  Receipts and other documentation of expenditures is also valuable.  Creating a detailed inventory can be done efficiently using video tape with narration.  Multiple copies of the inventory should be prepared.  One copy should be stored with a family member or friend while another copy should be safely stashed in a safety deposit box.

You can reach Miami Insurance Claims Lawyer J.P. Gonzalez-Sirgo by dialing his direct number at (786) 272-5841, calling the main office at (305) 461-1095, or Toll Free at 1 (866) 71-CLAIM or email Attorney Gonzalez-Sirgo directly at [email protected].

J.P. Gonzalez-Sirgo
J.P. Gonzalez-Sirgo, P.A.
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