Did you know one in six UK properties are at significant risk of flooding?
Morgan Clark Loss Assessors helps home and businessowners navigate flood insurance claims, offering crucial expert advice when it’s needed most
WHILE most property owners take out home, landlord or business insurance to protect themselves in the event of a flood, many don’t fully understand how complicated and time consuming making a flood insurance claim can be.
The claim process itself will often take far longer than claimants expect – sometimes months or even years.
Having helped many hundreds of property owners deal with their flood insurance claims, the team at Morgan Clark understands the process better than most.
From dealing with difficult third parties to negotiating fair financial outcomes, claiming for a flood can be just as stressful as the event itself.
Based on many years’ experience helping customers manage flood insurance claims and ultimately achieve the outcome they hope for, Morgan Clark Loss Assessors offers some top tips for preparing for a flood and what to do if your property is affected.
1. Understand the risks
One of the easiest ways to mitigate against flood damage in your property is to understand the risks that exist.
Around 5.2 million properties in the UK are at significant risk of flooding, whether from river, coastal or surface water floods.
Statistically, you are more likely to suffer a flood than a burglary, yet many property owners do not take flood risks as seriously as they should.
2. Have a plan
Despite the number of properties at risk in the UK, most home and business owners would not know what to do in the event of a flood.
Although floods are often unpreventable, planning ahead can mitigate damage significantly and keep everybody safe.
From ensuring everybody in the building knows how to evacuate safely, to making a checklist of water and electricity shut-off points, being prepared for a flood can save time, money, and potentially lives.
Signing up for free flood alerts in your area on the GOV.UK website can give you more time to prepare.
3. Prepare your insurance documents
Taking out adequate insurance is the first step to mitigating against flood damage, but knowing how to act in the case of an emergency can be crucial to getting the settlement you
are entitled to.
For example, making sure you keep all crucial insurance documents
in a safe, waterproof folder – preferably outside of the property itself, creating a digital copy of your insurance documents, and saving your insurer’s emergency number in your phone can be incredibly helpful in the weeks and months following a flood.
4. Know what help is available
Many people struggle through their flood insurance claims alone.
Not only does this add more stress to an already stressful situation, but a significant flood claim can end up taking over peoples’ lives.
Unfortunately, many claimants hear about the difference a loss
assessor can make to their insurance claim late in the process, this often means they miss out on expert help and support that is so vital at the start of an insurance claim.
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