These are certainly trying times for businesses all across Wisconsin. As if the global pandemic forcing you to shut your doors weren’t enough, civil unrest has left many businesses in unthinkable situations. Let’s take many of the business owners that woke up recently in Kenosha, WI just to find their businesses left with shattered windows, looted products, and worse yet, their buildings and legacy completely burned down to the ground, leaving years and years of hard work, blood, sweat, and tears in ashes.
During the process of looking to rebuild their businesses, these business owners are starting to learn a harsh reality about the insurance industry – That insurance companies don’t have their best interests in mind. Insurance claim after insurance claim has come back denied as insurance companies are looking for ways to wiggle their way out of paying out millions in damages.
As a business owner, it is more important now than ever for you to educate yourself on your current issuance policy. There are a lot of myths and rumors out there about what insurance will and will not cover when it comes to damages from looting and rioting. We want to help answer some of those questions so you know where to start to get what you deserve from your insurance company if your business is damaged from rioting and looting.
Do you need to have separate insurance for rioting and looting?
This is one of the most common misconceptions that business owners have right now. You do NOT need additional coverage for looting and riots. Most general business insurance policies willingly cover damages that come from a riot. Insurance companies want you to believe otherwise so they can sell you additional insurance and convince you that your claim was rightfully denied. This is just simply not true.
If your business has sustained damage from a riot or looting, your insurance company should accept your claim for all damages, including those that come from rescue efforts (for example, water damage from firefighters fighting a fire in a neighboring building.) Don’t let an insurance company tell you that only some of the damage is covered. If your business was a victim of a riot or looting and your insurance claim has been denied, you need to contact a public adjuster immediately and take action against your insurance company.
Insurances have been denying insurance claims claiming “acts of terrorism”
You might be wondering how insurance companies are getting away with denying insurance claims for looting and rioting when their customers should be covered.
There are many factors to that question. Some insurance companies are requiring police reporting to process claims which can be a long and difficult process when an entire city is damaged or when the criminal is an entire group of people vs. just one individual. Others are having trouble calculating lost income or inventory. But the main answer is much different: It comes down to how the insurance companies are classifying the claims when they come in.
Many Insurance companies are classifying claims from looting and rioting as “act of terrorism” claims. Terrorism insurance is a different type of insurance that you need to buy separately. Since insurance companies are giving these events this classification, most businesses are not covered and are getting the claims denied.
If your insurance company denied your business’s insurance claim because they classified it as an “act of terror” claim, you need to contact us NOW by calling (844) 383-3473 or emailing us at info@fortitudepublicadjusters.com! This is a dirty trick being played by insurance companies to deny money to the small business owners that need it most.
As the policyholder, you deserve a settlement with your insurance company to help get your business back up and running again. If your business was vandalized or looted during a riot, your standard business insurance likely covers the damages and you should get a settlement from your insurance company. If your Insurance company is making the process difficult or you aren’t getting the settlement you deserve, contact us at Fortitude Public Adjusters today! We know all the tricks that insurance companies try to play and will be in your corner to make sure you get the biggest settlement possible to get your business back up and running once again!
