Mother Nature is unpredictable; just ask the people of Gatlinburg, or Houston, or anyone in California. Humans can be unpredictable, too. As of right now, there have been 151,592 traffic crashes in Tennessee this year, and 10.429 of them have happened in Knox County. Of those 151,592 crashes:

• 732 were fatal
• 37,264 involved an injury
• 113,605 led to more than $400 in property damage

When you’re seriously injured in a crash, your first thoughts should be with getting the right medical treatment. But for people who sustain little to no injuries but significant damage to their cars, or whose homes are damaged because of fire, soot, hail or flooding, dealing with the insurance claims can be downright frustrating.

Filing property damage claims with car insurance providers

After a car crash, you should call your insurance provider, who will make a claim against the at-fault driver’s policy. Here are a few things you can do to help ease the process along:

• Write down the date of the crash; the names, telephone numbers, and other information of the other drivers, passengers and witnesses; and obtain a copy of the police report for your own records.
• Have the weather report for the day the crash occurred.
• Take pictures of the area where the crash occurred, and of the vehicles involved.
• Get estimate from 2-3 mechanics aside from the one the insurance company requires, so you can see if the estimates all fall in the same range.

Tennessee follows something called comparative fault, which means that any award or compensation you are given will be based on how much responsibility you might bear in the crash. Often times, the other driver’s insurer will try to lay the blame on you, so it can avoid paying out a claim. You should speak with an attorney if you think you’ve been low-balled on the offer, or if you think the offer is unjust.

Filing property damage claims with our homeowners’ insurance providers

If you sustain damage to your home, however, the process is a little different. You’ll still need to call your insurance company, who will send out an adjuster to review the damage and offer an estimate for repairs. Make sure to review your policy first, so that you know what is covered and what is not. Your policy should cover structural repairs to the home, the loss of your belongings (called contents coverage), and the costs associated with living away from your home (if necessary) while repairs are being made. Additional policies could also cover

• Water damage, from floods or hurricanes
• Soot and smoke damage after a fire
• Damage caused by tornadoes or hail, or other natural disasters
• Theft and vandalism

At Banks and Jones, we help you through every part of your recovery, and we are unafraid to take on the insurance companies when they deny your rightful claims. To learn more about us, to schedule a free consultation with an experienced injury lawyer in Knoxville, please call 865-546-2141, or complete our contact form.