Hurricane Season is Here! Know How to Protect Yourself!

DOYLESTOWN, Pa. - Aug. 18, 2013 - PRLog -- With rumors swirling about climate change and the damage caused by Super Storm Sandy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Sandy) last year, it’s no surprise to anybody that the weather services across Pennsylvania and New Jersey are warning homeowners about the upcoming 2013 Hurricane Season.

It’s a safe bet that everybody will be well-informed about potential severe weather threats, and an even safer bet that almost all homeowners out there are completely clueless as to what to do when they have a homeowner claim!

“It’s surprising and sad,” says Pete Guzzi, President of ACI Adjustment Group (http://www.aciadjustment.com), ranked #1 in customer service and satisfaction in New Jersey and Pennsylvania by the United Public Adjusters Association (UPA) (http://unitedpublicadjusters.org).  “My mother was told by an insurance company-paid engineer that her home could be glued together after hurricane Sandy.  We brought several outside engineers to analyze the same damages to the same home and they all said the same thing: the insurance company’s engineer is either crazy, unqualified, or he is being paid to rip people off.  Some of the experts said it was a combination of all three,” said Mr. Guzzi.

“We’ve helped so many homeowners increase their settlements just by making a phone call to us and asking for help.  It’s a shame, but you absolutely need to have a public adjuster to fight your insurance company if you want even a reasonably fair settlement for damage from hurricane Sandy.  We just helped a homeowner in Seaside Heights, NJ (http://www.seasideheights.net/) increase their claim by $34,000+ and we just re-opened it about a month ago!  Imagine where we’ll be after a few letters and phone calls from out experts.”

What’s even scarier is that many homeowners didn’t even put in claims for their damages from Sandy, and many just accepted what the insurance companies offered, which wasn’t much, and gave up on their homes altogether.

“Most policyholders have no idea what’s in their policy, but we do!  And we make the insurance companies stick to it!” said Peter Guzzi in an interview with the UPA’s Associated Press Department.  “If you have damage out there, we want to help you because what happened to you just isn’t right.  You pay your premiums year after year, and then when you need it, it’s just not there – that’s not fair!”

Millions, maybe even billions of dollars went unpaid after hurricane Sandy and ACI Adjustment Group is here to make sure that this hurricane season, homeowners get what they deserve.  ACI Adjustment Group currently has an initiative to hand out free smoke detectors and fire alarms in an effort called “Project Protect,” which is designed to educate homeowners on how to prevent and recover from fires in their homes.

Should another Super Storm occur along the East Coast affecting Pennsylvania and New Jersey in 2013, ACI Adjustment Group has made a pledge to launch “Operation Defeat the Storm,” an initiative designed to educate homeowners on their rights as insured policyholders and hand out needed resources to survivors who often are left with a battered home, vulnerable to further damage.

Homeowners should know that if their home is damaged this hurricane season, they are covered for damage from wind, wind-driven rain, roof leaks, siding damage, missing shingles, leaking around windows, down trees, leaking around skylights, hail damage, and many other sudden and accidental damages by their homeowner policy.  If they have flood insurance, they can also use a public adjuster to help them recover more from their insurance company.

 

“It’s often more advantageous for the homeowner if they call us first.  Insurance companies train their people to discourage putting in claims and how to deny coverage.  We know what they policy reads and how to determine the true cause of damage, and how to present the damage to the insurance company and negotiate for full coverage.  Going to bat against the insurance company is like going to bat against Cliff Lee with a wiffle ball bat and wearing a blindfold – you’re going to strike out, and most homeowners did with hurricane Sandy.”