My agent said my damage is under deductible not to file a claim. Can this be right?

Recently, I received a call from an individual that left me a little perplexed.  For privacy purposes I will refer to this person as Ms. Hanner and she requested help with her insurance claim.  She said that she called her insurance agent to file a claim and that he told her not to file the claim because her damage was under deductible.  She said I don’t know how this could be, my deductible is only $2,500.00 and there was a great deal of damage.
 
I asked her if the agent visited her home to see the damage.  She explained he did not and that she only spoke with him on the phone.  In fairness to the agent, they generally do not visit properties to inspect damage. But also, he should not have told her not to file a claim, as it was not possible for the agent to understand the amount of damage from just a brief phone call.
 
During my call with Ms. Hanner, I asked her a series of questions to determine what happened to the property. It was during my inquiry that I got a better understanding of what caused her loss as well as the damage to her home.  The key word here is inquiry … I asked a lot of questions and did not assume anything.  During my inspection of her property, it was clear to me that the claim was not under deductible due to the damage in many rooms in her home.
 
I cannot stress this enough and this is why it is always important to get an honest opinion from a licensed insurance professional.  We always ask questions, get as many details as possible, conduct an inspection of the property and review the insurance policy.  There are some instances when there is minimal damage to one’s property and the repairs can fall below your deductible. In cases like these, a claim should not be filed.  But in this instance, that was not the case.
 
We are always here to help protect policyholders and answer any questions any time.  We provide free insurance policy and claim reviews and you can contact us here or call 561-288-6434.