Social Media Helps Frustrated Homeowner With Contested Claim

One Lake Charles woman credits the power of social media in getting one step closer to having her hurricane-damaged home repaired after weeks of roadblocks with her insurance claim.

Tara Parks recently posted several videos on the social media app TikTok. She told more than 80,000 followers about her insurance company’s refusal to acknowledge the extent of damages Hurricane Laura caused to her home.

“Knowing I had a platform, I thought it was worth a shot,” Parks, 33, said Tuesday. One video has nearly 600,000 views. Parks’ followers eventually shared her TikTok videos on the insurance companies’ Facebook pages.

“Strangers were sharing it,” she said. “The fact that so many people who aren’t from Louisiana care when it’s not affecting them, I was very grateful for that. It really got the word out.”

Less than a week after the videos were posted, Parks said the adjusting firm called her Monday, asking what could be done to make her home livable again.