What Proof Is Needed for a Lightning Damage Insurance Claim?
Lightning strikes happen at a higher rate in Florida than just about anywhere else in the country, and Bradenton is very much included in that. In fact, the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice area ranks seventh in the state and 12th nationally as far as lightning-prone areas go.
That means that many homes and businesses in the region are hit by lightning strikes. Much of the time, no damage results from that frightening moment. However, there are other instances in which the damage can be moderate or even extensive. For example, a lightning strike could potentially start a fire that ultimately burns down a home.
If you’ve suffered lightning damage, how can you provide proof of that connection for your insurance claim?
Verify the lightning
Verify that lightning did, in fact, occur in your immediate area.
This can be done via storm reports or lightning strike data. However, this doesn’t necessarily need to be formally done. Other options include using general weather records, news reports, eyewitness accounts from neighbors or others and photos or videos showing the lightning strike. Note that the latter example can involve doorbell or security cameras, whether your own or those of neighbors or nearby businesses.
Also, simply taking photos or videos of damage has the potential to show that the lightning strike did, in fact, happen.
Contact your insurance company
One of the most important things that you can do to prove that lightning caused this damage is to contact your insurance company in a timely manner after it happened. And do take note of any timelines that you are required to meet in order to receive compensation. The one that applies to your circumstances may be short.
In addition, note that if legal action ultimately needs to be taken against your insurance company, you will also need to have met the relevant statute of limitations. Otherwise, you will not be able to pursue damages.
Identify the damage
Identify all of the damage that has occurred. A few potential types to look for include:
- Burn marks
- Damaged roofing
- Electrical devices, such as appliances, televisions or computers, that no longer work or are behaving erratically
- Unusual electrical smells, particularly if they were not there prior to the strike
In addition, compile a list of all of these damaged items, including information about their value, how much you estimate it will cost to replace or repair them and how old they are. Add to this list right away should you later realize that one or more additional instances of damage occurred as a result of that lightning.
Document everything
The document-everything step is similar to what you did to verify the lightning but takes it a step further. For this, it is important to focus a lot more on the specifics of what happened.
One of the most important things to note is when the lightning hit. Recording your best estimate of this is fine.
Take photos and videos of all visible damage. After prioritizing your safety and the safety of others, do this as soon as possible. Utilize different angles to provide a variety of perspectives of the damage. All damage should be recorded, not just fire damage but also that of non-working electrical devices, even if you cannot see any physical damage that was suffered by them.
But do not solely rely on photos and videos. Write descriptions of this damage in your own words as well.
If possible, also utilize photos or videos of damaged property from before the lightning strike. Of course, if you do have a doorbell or security camera that showed the actual lightning strike, then you will already have the before-and-after video readily available. But even if neither of those crystal-clear options is available, other types of before-and-after photos and videos can really help document the damage that took place.
An interview with a witness is another potential type of documentation that you can secure to help prove your insurance claim.
Also, in the days following, keep records of all of the expenses that you are paying. These can include replacing destroyed property, repairing damaged property and cleaning up debris.
Use expert testimony
An option to further prove the lightning damage is to utilize the services of an electrician or forensic expert. This professional can provide documentation that lightning did cause this damage.
Work with adjusters
In some cases, the insurance company will send out either a staff adjuster or an independent adjuster to analyze the damage. The likelihood of this happening increases the more significant your claim is.
If it does occur, make sure that they understand all of the damage that took place, particularly any that is not related to fire damage. You can also share the documentation that you gathered. In any case, do not guess at the answer to a question. In other words, if the adjuster asks something that you do not know the answer to, say that.
In some cases, you may want to hire a public adjuster i.e. someone who is working on your behalf and has not been hired by the insurance company, in order to prove what happened. In fact, if the damage is significant, you may want to do this before the insurance company’s adjuster has even visited.
We Can Help Prove Your Insurance Claim
If you have suffered lightning damage, particularly if it is extensive, you may be feeling overwhelmed at the sudden change in your circumstances. Fortunately, however, you do still have a lot of control over the situation, and doing things like verifying the lightning, contacting your insurance company, documenting everything and working with adjusters will help you prove that what you suffered through happened to the degree that it did.
So, make sure that you don’t put up with any malarky. Call Mister Sparky, and we will answer your questions and help you recover from the damage that this lightning strike caused.
