Certain areas in the United States are much more prone to earthquakes than others. Time Magazine displayed USGS’s new map that shows earthquake prone places across the U.S by color coding the states that are at risk. It found that 16 states tend to experience more earthquakes in comparison to the other 34 states. These include: Alaska, Arkansas, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. An earthquake is described as “a sudden and violent shaking of the ground, sometimes causing great destruction, as a result of movements within the earth’s crust or volcanic action.” In the last two months alone, the Los Angeles area was hit with a 5.3 and 4.5 magnitude earthquake, respectively. The Los Angeles Times wrote, “tracing the exact location of the San Andreas fault’s many strands in this area is difficult because of the large amounts of sediment that have poured from the mountains over the years, covering up evidence of prehistoric earthquake activity. Tectonic strain continuously accumulates along this section of the San Andreas fault, as the Pacific plate, upon which lies the city of Los Angeles and Orange county, moves northwest relative to the North American plate, where Lancaster and Victorville sit and which is moving southeast.”
Hopefully all homeowners in this area are fully aware of the natural disasters that they may face. With that, making sure that you have homeowners insurance that covers damage that results from an earthquake is key to saving yourself money in your time of need. If an earthquake hits and damage is done to your home or property, it’s important to call your insurance company immediately. You’re going to want to ask questions like am I covered for this type of damage? Do I need to fill out a claim? Is the cost going to exceed my deductible? How long is it going to take to process my claim? When will I be reimbursed? Your insurance agent might not have all the answers right then and there, but it will help you in the long run if you start the process sooner rather than later. Once you get in contact with your insurance company, they will send out an adjuster from their company. The adjuster is going to interview you and inspect your home and property. You’re going to want to point out all the damage that might go overlooked so that your settlement can be maximized.
If the insurance company sends you the amount they’re willing to settle with you and you don’t think it’s a fair price, you can hire a public adjuster. There are Public adjusters in the Los Angeles area that can help be your advocate when it comes to handling the insurance company. The adjuster that you hire will come to your home and run through the same process that the adjuster from the insurance company ran through. They’ll interview you and inspect the damage in order to come up with a number that they feel fairly reflects the cost of fixing the damage so that it can return to its previous state. These adjusters are familiar with the language of insurance contracts as well as thoroughly experienced with creating logs and filing claims. They will take a small percentage of the final settlement as their payment for getting you a larger payout.
It’s important to hire a public adjuster that’s not only familiar with the area in which your home and property is located, but is also experienced in dealing with the type of damage your home has dealt with. If your home is unlivable in its current state, you’re going to have to make temporary repairs. Make sure you’re recording all of your expenses as well as taking pictures of the before and after product. It will make the process simpler in the long-run.
