OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — We are entering day five of cleanup from severe thunderstorms this past weekend.
Many homeowners are still evaluating the damage and are now reaching out to insurance companies for an estimate.
As homeowners decide the next steps in repairing damage from this week's severe storm, it can get confusing — especially when you feel like you're not getting exactly what you need from an insurance company.
To help with the damaged assessment, it may be beneficial to reach out to an adjusting firm — one that provides assistance to you, the policyholder.
By doing so, you will have someone advocating for you in this process, hopefully getting you the correct amount of money to get your home to where it was before the storm.
Kyle Maring, CEO of Premier Claims said the first thing homeowners should do is evaluate the damage, get a copy of their insurance policy and make sure you know what is covered when you file a claim.
"We are adjusters that advocate for policyholders, not the insurance company. Our interests are aligned with the homeowners and business owners if they get an adjustment back from their carrier that they don't feel is just or they just want us to put a second set of eyes on it, we'd be happy to review that assessment for them and see if they were paid fairly," said Maring.
Malcom X Memorial Foundation is one of their clients.
They got involved in this project because it was denied by an insurance carrier. They will help advocate for the memorial foundation.
Maring added nonprofits are often underpaid compared to other properties hit by a storm.
He said this is because there are often a lot of decision-makers that have to agree on one thing which can end up making the process more confusing.
Premier Claims has been helping people tarp their roofs all over the metro area in preparation for the chance of more rain Wednesday.
Maring said to make sure that if water finds its way into the exterior to document it which could help you in the future.
Maring added if you find mold in the home to coin it as water damage when dealing with insurance carriers.
Additionally, roofing experts said the process of repair can be dangerous and to not do it yourself without proper gear.
With so many people with trees falling on their roofs after the weekend storm, many are now trying to get things patched up before rainfall expected Wednesday.
Jack Harm with Titan Exteriors said the best option is to talk with an expert.
"If we need to dry in the roof or the wall or if there is holes, then we'll make sure to dry it in and make sure everyone is safe and then we'll guide everyone through the insurance process after that," said Harm.
Harm also reminded people that there could be more to your damage than what you see on the exterior.
If water found its way into the interior, you could experience mold in the future if it's not taken care of now.
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