Take Photos of Property Before the Storm for Insurance Claims
Like the kids say these days, “pics or it didn’t happen!” We live in the post-Myspace Facebook and Instagram age, so of course, everything has to be documented with a quick photo op or group shot. Even if some of these trivial cringeworthy moments don’t always need a quick Snap, it hasn’t stopped us from carving up gigabytes of storage space on our smartphones with everything from memes and screenshots to hundreds of photos of our pets (yes, we’ve all seen the posts of your cat in her Halloween costume) and selfies. We’ve become the camera obsessed age, and who is to argue we aren’t all entitled to a little bit of self-indulgence? High resolution photography for the masses is a recent invention and the ability to quickly forever capture life’s precious moments and instantly develop imagery via phone just came about a few years ago. So, forgive us for spamming your newsfeeds with our selfies and pics of our kids. We’ve earned this…. at least for now. But what else is missing? We’ve grabbed pics of almost every single moment of life. What has gone uncaptured by the cameras of our unwieldy smartphones?
This Photograph is Proof
Society isn’t shy when it comes to sharing intimate details of our lives. Some of us even have a tendency to overshare. We purge our personal lives of recent breakups, heartache and even death with long-winded statuses on Facebook. “Sad” or “crying” reactions have become the new way of expressing and sharing condolences with our downtrodden friends. After a fender bender or car accident, what’s the first reaction of anyone in the digital obsessed age? Well, aside from calling 911, of course? We want sympathy. A little burst of dopamine to ease the tension, so we quickly grab our phones and take a snapshot of the damage and post to Facebook. This doesn’t nothing to repair the damage – and actually hurts your case as it may raise questions about your texting and driving habit – but what with if we reverse this mindset? What if we take pictures of our property before disaster strikes? And no, we’re not talking about photos of you posing by your new ride at the dealership for more “likes” and clout. Everyone needs to have recent photos of their property on file for insurance purposes.
How to Avoid ‘Denied Claim’ Requests
Did you know that denial rates for car insurance claims are as high as 45 percent in some states?
The reasons for the denied claims vary, but lack of proper documentation is a common denominator in most of these cases. Taking photos of the accident scene is a great way to provide your version of the events that transpired at accidents. It gives your insurer a clear picture of what happened and can counteract fictitious versions that seek to undermine your story. But what about taking photos of your car before disaster strikes? By having a recent stockpile of photos of your car on hand before an accident can quickly shutdown disputes from insurance companies who might question whether a certain dint on your side panel came from the most recent accident or another event that you failed to report. The same goes for protecting your claims on housing and other property. With news of a powerful storm front rolling through the southeast, many emergency management officials have recommended homeowners photographing their homes before and after the storm to help with insurance claims.
“We encourage Mississippians to take photos of their home BEFORE the storms. These photos can be used for insurance purposes and/or possible assistance if your home is damaged in the storm,” the agency said on its Twitter account.
Steel Metal Garage Can Provide Complete Protection
But why should we have to rely on insurance companies to replace damaged property even if we always pay our premiums on time? They’re always coming up with a new technicality or excuse to get out of paying our claims. It’s time we took matters into our hands. A steel metal garage from carport.com is the best front-line defense against severe weather and criminals, who might try to steal your car. A sheltered car is a happy car, and minimizing the amount of time your car is exposed to the elements will minimize repairs and rapid wear and tear. Well-constructed garages cost only a tiny fraction of what the overall cost of replacing a damaged vehicle would and could even be paid off with what your shelling out in insurance premiums every month. We aren’t advocating dropping insurance altogether – in fact, this is illegal in some states – but a metal carport or garage is a great supplemental insurance to hedge your bets and ride out the storm.