NASHVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- As victims of the recent tornadoes begin to notify their insurance companies and file property loss claims, they may need help navigating the process and, most importantly, securing a fair settlement from their insurance company.

"It's not uncommon for insurance companies to offer far less money to rebuild a home or business than the owner expected based on their insurance policy," said Phil Breeden, founder and CEO of FirstCall, a Nashville-based firm of licensed public insurance adjusters. "Licensed public adjusters work on behalf of the insured, not the insurance companies, to ensure that the policy holder receives the maximum settlement possible."

Most people never experience a significant property loss and, therefore, aren't experts at pursuing a claim. For these individuals, claims filing can be complicated and overwhelming. Licensed public adjusters assist with the process and, as experts in working with insurance companies on a daily basis, they can more successfully maximize the settlement.

"Victims of a property loss should notify their insurance company and then contact an independent public adjuster to work on their behalf," said Breeden, who has been a public adjuster for almost 20 years. "The sooner you get someone walking through your property, documenting your losses and helping you navigate the filing process, the better outcome you will have in terms of a settlement from your insurance company."

For further information contact: FirstCall at 615-724-2424 or 1-888-750- 7445 or visit www.firstcallclaims.com

         Dos and Don'ts About Recovering From Your Property Loss After you experience a property loss:

  Do:
   - Immediately notify your insurance agent that you have had a loss.
   - Secure and protect the property from further damage.  Keep receipts.
   - Immediately call a public adjuster to work on YOUR behalf and not on
     behalf of the insurance company.

  Don't:
   - Don't lose control of the direction of the claim.
   - Don't feel guilty about having a loss or making a claim.
   - Don't be intimidated.
   - Don't let the insurance company define the amount of YOUR loss; that's
     your responsibility.
   - Don't sign anything with a contractor unless they are independent from
     the insurance company.
   - Don't allow a cleaning contractor to remove your personal property
     until you are satisfied with what is cleanable and what is a total
     loss. Those costs reduce the total available money for your personal
     property claim.

  Before you experience a loss:
   - Review coverage annually - keep plenty of replacement cost coverage on
     structure and personal property.
   - Don't save money on insurance - Relative to the payback, insurance is
     cheap but being underinsured is expensive.
   - With a digital camera and/or video recorder - document everything in
     your house or place of business by taking hundreds of pictures.  Burn
     the photos to two CDs and store the copies off site.

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Source: FirstCall

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