As if their names and depressing social media posts weren’t enough of a pain, natural disasters cause so much drama. Physical damage to property and land in the wake of a natural disaster is what’s on the surface (things so aren’t selfie-ready now). As if the need for soothing filters weren’t stressful enough, subsequent financial reporting, needed to address any impairment in the aftermath of a seismic event like a major hurricane or wild fire, can be a daunting yet necessary task.
Following any imperiling event, there will inevitably be a myriad of crucial insurance issues. Ugh, more drama.
“A lot of these are primarily related to companies that have incurred losses, and they’re really just trying to determine what type of insurance recovery they may have. Part of the challenge is determining first of all the type of loss that a company has recorded and is it even covered by your insurance policies. And if it is covered by your insurance policies, then what we typically see is companies apply what they call a cost recovery model,” according to Dennis Howell, a senior consultation partner in the Accounting Services Consultation Group in Deloitte’s National Office.
Trolling damage and assessing what insurance does and does not cover can lead to legal analysis, so an already disheartening situation is compounded by verifying what insurance will take care of in the policy. An insurance company can be like a pesky significant other, questioning the source of an Instagram post. Was it rain-damage or wind? (or did you mean to like that post of his?).
Though tedious, and undesirable when under the pressure of recovery from an environmental blow, these inquires can be inexorable. They’re inundated with claims, not just water or brush fire, so it’s best to cover your bases before the onslaught of any natural disaster theatrics.
Rest assured, The Financial Accounting Standards Board’s Emerging Issues Task Force has clarified some of the guidance on recording insurance recoveries last year, helping streamline financial reporting while undertaking relief from a threatening event.
Cross checking environmental issue like underground tanks, thumbing through income tax reporting implications and being mindful of any subleases to ensure all claims encompass the entirety of your business—to of course get the proper retributions and avoid any unnecessary headaches.
