With severe weather approaching, Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple is urging residents to understand their insurance coverage before they need to file a claim.
"The first thing you need to do is call your insurance agent or your insurance company and ask them to explain it to you," Temple said. "If you still aren't satisfied with that, call us at the Department of Insurance, and we will help walk you through all those [things]."
Structural damage falls under Coverage A, while Coverage C deals with everything inside the home.
"The way it's best described is that if you took your home, turned it upside down, and shook everything, everything that falls out would fall under your coverage C," Temple said.
Temple said it is essential to have belongings itemized and on file using photo and video. The Department of Insurance's app, LDH Connect, can help with documentation.
"Most people can't take everything with them, so they're gonna have to leave something behind," Temple said. "It helps you identify how you need to document all that so that if it's destroyed, you have a way to show that it was in your home."
Residents who are not satisfied with how their claim is being handled can call the Department of Insurance for assistance.
"And sometimes it means helping the insurance company understand that they're not doing what they need to be doing," Temple said. "We can help make sure that they are taking care of you the way that they're supposed to."
