After the flood - act quickly and correctly!
Since the end of May, precipitation has been falling in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. Rivers, streams and soils can no longer absorb the persistently high amounts of precipitation, as an unusually large amount of precipitation has already fallen in the past few weeks and months. The consequences are immense. Houses, industrial plants and cultural assets have been flooded by the water. The extreme weather event has even claimed lives, seriously injured people and caused extensive damage to property, real estate, production facilities, office buildings and storage rooms. Broken infrastructure, power outages and disrupted telephone lines can lead to production shutdowns or to the evacuation of hospitals, nursing homes or facilities for the disabled, resulting in a loss of earnings for companies and businesses in the social economy. But what should be done in an emergency?
When the building is underwater
Kerstin Schneller, head of the Industrial Claims department in our group of companies, advises keeping calm and remaining level-headed in this case: “It is important that the affected customers act correctly. They should be aware that they have to act quickly, but also that they are obliged to document the damage.” Photos and videos are helpful in this case. Due to the scale of the disaster, it is impossible for every claim to be assessed by an expert. In this case, the expert recommends keeping precise records of the individual steps of the clean-up operation. A list should also be drawn up of the damaged production facilities, machinery, warehouses, office space, operating resources, materials, goods and stocks, and photos should be taken of the items that have to be disposed of immediately. As a customer, you are required to provide evidence.
Reviewing insurance policies and reporting damage
As soon as the initial shock has passed, those affected should contact their customer advisor to review the insurance policies together: Does the building insurance include an element of natural hazards that covers other natural hazards such as flooding caused by heavy rain? The building insurance covers damage that occurs directly to the building. If the furnishings are affected, then the inventory insurance will take effect – here, too, it is necessary to check whether protection against further natural hazards is included. If vehicles from the fleet are damaged, then motor vehicle insurance is important.
Of course, the account managers and customer advisors are on hand to help. “Our employees are always available to talk to and are happy to support you,” says Kerstin Schneller.
The initial clean-up
When the water level drops, the rooms should be adequately ventilated and the dirt and mud removed before everything dries. Since it is highly unlikely that an expert will be able to assess the situation on site in every case, we recommend that you contact the Ecclesia Group. We have contact details for various specialist companies that can support the clean-up. If these service providers are also working at full capacity, we advise, in case of doubt, to document the damage photographically in consultation with the respective customer advisor and then to start with the removal. Together and on the basis of good documentation, we will then also find solutions with the insurers. If companies are contracted to carry out the work, it is advisable to have an approximate estimate of the expected costs made and to obtain the insurance company's approval.
Your contact persons are there for you. We will support you in this extraordinary situation. You can also find more information on this topic in this blog post.
Editorial team