Commercial claims would include damage to common areas in condominiums, homeowners’ associations, hotels, shopping centers, restaurants, retail stores, high rise office buildings, apartment buildings and any other structures in which one conducts business. It would also include business interruption and damage to industrial equipment used in your business and more.
Commercial property damage is unique because the policies are structured differently than a residential policy. Typically, they are structured to the individual needs of the business and have specific endorsements that apply to that business. An endorsement is an addition to an existing insurance contract that changes the terms of the original policy. A business owner can add or delete certain coverages to customize the policy to their needs. When there is a loss, significant time- consuming challenges usually occur because the business owner must juggle the claims process as well as working to get their business back up and running. After a loss, it is the business owner’s responsibility to mitigate their damage as to avoid any further loss to the property/business. There are many ways that a public adjuster can assist with this.
Roofing systems that are commercial are designed totally different than residential systems. For the most part, commercial roofs have little pitch or are completely flat. Usually they are much larger than residential roofs and need more repair and maintenance. They are also more difficult to construct because there are more protrusions like vents to take into consideration. All Points Claim Advisors offers a Baseline Roof Assessment at no cost to you which includes written and photo documentation. This will enable you, if a storm should hit, to have on record documented proof of the condition of your roof prior to any inclement weather. Having this report will cut down the time of your claim considerably, since there will be no going back and forth with the insurance company as to the condition of your roof prior to any event. Our team is HAAG Engineering and OSHA certified, meaning our clients can have the peace of mind that their properties are properly assessed, and their claims are properly handled.
Commercial public adjusters handle the entire claims process for you from start to finish.
They file the claim, inspect the damage, and document the scope of the damage and provide a detailed estimate as to the cost of putting the business back to its pre-loss condition. They also review the policy in depth, manage the claim, send in and review documents, handle phone calls, coordinate inspections, negotiate the settlement on your behalf and maintain constant contact with you as to the progress of the claim. In most cases specialists are required on such claims which can be referred such as engineers, contractors, roofing specialists, master plumbers, attorney’s, and even accountants to assist in calculating business interruption figures. We will not settle a claim for you without your authorization and will always offer all alternatives available, and guide you based on our years of experience. Our team of experts combined with our extensive experience allows us to maximize and expedite your financial settlement under your policy provisions.
Our team has adjusted and closed over 5000 claims, both commercial and residential and we are licensed in several states. It is our mission to work your claim to the highest standards while keeping your best interests at heart. Our goal is to develop a relationship with our clients that lasts for years, not one claim. Inspections are free and we do not get paid unless you do. Choose All Points Claim Advisors for all of your public adjusting needs.
Windstorm loss can be described as a wind event of sufficient force to proximately cause damage to an otherwise undamaged building or structure. Policy coverage for windstorm or hail is limited to three basic provisions. These provisions do not include frost, cold weather, ice (other than hail,) snow, or sleet, whether driven by wind or not. The verbiage contained in policies is very tricky when applied to windstorm. For example, for there to be a covered loss and a claim payment to be issued, the building or structure must first sustain wind or hail damage to the roof or walls through with the rain, snow, sand, or dust can enter. As an experienced public adjusting firm dealing with windstorm and hail claims, we understand the necessary steps and processes needed to prove applicable coverage for your claim. We have the resources and experts to properly analyze your structural damage, prepare reports, and evaluate the percentage of damage caused by the windstorm and/or hail event.
Many courts have followed the rule that a direct loss from windstorm occurs when it is shown that the force or strength of the wind caused the damage. Other jurisdictions require that the winds be forceful enough to be considered a named storm event. However, not all windstorm events need to be isolated to only wind. For example, let’s assume the wind was strong enough to cause a projectile to become airborne and shatter a window. The rule is the windstorm must be the proximate cause or the efficient proximate cause of the loss. Call us today to evaluate your claim and/or damage for more information regarding this complicated peril coverage.
Hurricanes on the east coast, tornadoes and hailstorms in the Midwest, and landslides or earthquakes on the west coast could all inflict immense damage to your companies’ facilities. Hurricanes are both fascinating and horrifying. Besides the obvious structural damage caused by a hurricane, there is so much more to contend with when own a commercial building or business. Fires can break out in a second from broken gas lines, looting, water damage, flooding, financial data loss, business electronics ruined beyond repair, inventory is destroyed, and so much more. As with any property, residential or commercial, the time to be organized, prepared, and take inventory is before the storm, not after.
As for many policyholders, a business policy is manuscript to a living policy that must be reviewed and revised to reflect new exposures and changes within the business. Many business owners find out about all the policy exclusions after the hurricane has destroyed their business. Shocked by the lack of coverage, business owners normally don’t have enough money to rebuild from a claim payment or settlement, and if they did, they can’t withstand the timeframe in which to rebuild because there is no cash flow coming in; thus, they end up losing everything.
Business Interruption insurance compensates you when you must suspend your operations due to physical damage requiring your business to close. However, in business interruption claims there are specific criteria that must be met as per the policy. There are three basic types of Business Interruption insurance coverage. Business Income Coverage and Extra Expense, Business Income Coverage without Extra Expense, and the Extra Expense Form. There are other more specialized forms such as Business Interruption for special events such as concerts and festivals. The recent pandemic that has crippled our economy has become a very argumentative subject for attorneys and the insurers. As per the insurers, there should be no coverage because there was not a direct physical loss to the property. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court recently issued a ruling that could potentially negate this exclusion. Also, there are states who have filed bills directing the insurers to pay for business interruption claims regardless of what business interruption coverage you may have. Our firm specializes in assisting business owners with their business interruption claims. Your property insurance will only cover the physical damage to your facilities, not the amount of business you lose due to an event such as a hurricane. If your business has been closed as a result of damage whether physical or not, and you have Business Interruption coverage, we can help.
Vandalism is another type of claim that can be covered in a commercial insurance policy. Vandalism can be defined as the willful and malicious damage to or destruction of a covered property. The key is that there must be some sort of malicious intent otherwise this type of loss will not be covered. For example, if you have a business and your workers handle a chemical improperly and fumes spread and cause damage to your property, you would not be covered, because this was not intentional. It would be wise to note that commercial policies cover vandalism but not theft. The coverage will only pay for the damage to the building by the breaking in or exiting the building. What happens when you have both? This has been litigated with much confusion and conflicting judicial decisions, which is another reason why you need an expert on your side.
Whether your business was affected by a storm, fire, tornado, hail, plumbing issue, mold or even theft and vandalism we are here to help. We are trained to find hidden damage that can not be seen with the naked eye. We are also trained to foresee possible potential problems that could affect your business in the future.
