The majority of policyholders who have ever been a victim of a fire or has suffered damages to their property (home, business, etc.) from a fire insurance claim will make costly mistakes during and after the claim has been settled. Unfortunately there always seems to be one grossly expensive mistake that most all policyholders make. It’s so simple that it’s hard to believe that people don’t even realize they have done it. Can you even imagine that many policyholder’s who has suffered a fire will rely solely on the insurance company adjuster’s opinion? They allow their adjuster to inspect their property, evaluate and process the claim, and create an estimate for the entire fire insurance claim… Without Any Questions. Imagine people like doctors, lawyers, accountants, willfully accepting the insurance adjuster’s own opinion without obtaining any comparisons, numbers from other contractors, or consulting a fire insurance claim professional. This is, without-a-doubt, the most costly mistake people will ever make in their entire life.
It’s bad enough to have your property destroyed by fire, but relying on someone else to visit your property, inspect it, provide a proper value, and then trust that they got it all correct… Is Simply I N S A N E ! Yet, policyholders allow this to happen all across the country, day-in and day-out. For most people it’s human nature to count their “change” at the grocery store or diligently review their dinner bill to be sure the waiter didn’t charge them for items they did not order. We’ve all done it. We go out of our way to count and keep track of our chump change. Yet, when it comes to tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars from a fire insurance claim, we rely on the insurance company without question.
There isn’t anyone who knows your property like you do. With all there is to do in properly preparing and calculating fire insurance claim damage, it’s no wonder that in most cases, items can be forgotten or missed during the process. This couldn’t be more true if the process is done by someone from the insurance company. They have no knowledge about your building, its finishes (carpet, wallpaper), or your contents (furniture, clothing, etc.) like you. Could they possibly be more accurate than you? Furthermore, just because an adjuster works for an insurance company, inspects your property, and knows how to measure rooms, in no way means they are a qualified contractor, builder, or is certified to evaluate fire and water damage repairs.
During the review of thousands of both closed and open claims, we find that both insurance companies and policyholders unknowingly and often miss hidden damages. The truth is – that in almost all instances; it’s a good idea to have a qualified professional review all fire damage claims. One should seek a fire insurance claims appraiser, a fire insurance claim consultant, or a fire consulting firm.
Policyholders often believe that when the insurance company sends them a check and they deposit the money in their bank account – the claim is closed. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The fact is; that in most states a policyholder has 3-years to make a claim and even ADD to an existing claim. So, a review of your claim to see if you have been properly compensated can occur, during the claims process or even after the claim has been settled. You can also obtain more money from your claim – even if it has been torn down and demolished.
Yes, even if your claim has been settled and you have deposited the checks, or your building has been torn down and demolished, you can still obtain more insurance proceeds if the damages were not assessed properly. In many cases, tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of more dollars. Even when a policyholder believes they have received a fair settlement… they usually have not.
It’s up to YOU, the policyholder, to do your part to protect yourself. Here are tips to help individuals with fire insurance claims. There are helpful tips for policyholders in the middle of their claim – as well as help for those with claims that are closed.
1. Existing Claim -
1. Document Building Damage: Take time to inspect, photograph, and document the fire damages yourself. Take photos of all rooms in the building. Take overview photos of the room as well as close-up photos of the ceilings, walls, floors, windows, doors, etc. of each room as well. Work around the building to the left (clock wise). Then, before entering the next room – take an overview photo. This will be the easiest way to organize the photos for each room. Here’s an example; Take overview photo of the kitchen, then work your photos from the ceiling to the floor. Take overview photo of ceiling, then zoom in on photos of the ceiling. Continue with overview photos of each wall, then close-up photos of damages on walls. Continue this process with windows, doors, and finally the floor. When you enter the next rom, hall or closet, the first photo is an overview, and so on. (Do not take any photos or close-ups of any furniture or clothing yet, just the rooms.)
1. Closed or Settled Claims -
1. Obtain Documents For Building: Your insurance adjuster had taken photos of the property during their inspection(s). If you do not have any photos yourself, or if you only have minimal photos – you should request a copy of all photos that were taken by the insurance adjuster. You will want to also request the copy of the adjusters scope. The scope will be the diagram/sketch and measurements they used to calculate the square feet of each room of the building. Request the complete line-item, detailed estimate they wrote to arrive at the settlement numbers of your claim. These documents will be useful to you and for any fire insurance claim consultant you may choose.
2. Existing Claim -
2. Document Contents Damage: You will now want to visit each room and closet once again. This time you will be collecting an inventory of your contents. In the same manner you did with the rooms; you should take an overview picture of each piece of furniture, each pair of shoes, each shirt, pants, ect. After the overviews you then take a close-up picture of any damages to that item. (Like smoke or water stains, etc.) Write each individual item down on a Contents Inventory Form. ( Request one by visiting http://www.insuranceclaimsgroup.com/contact-us.html ) The manner in which you take your photos will also help organize them. For Example; Take the overview picture of the room you are about to enter. In this example; let’s say the living room. Your should then continue your way around the room to the left (clockwise). Capture pictures and list each item on each wall until you get back to where you began. It’s important not to bounce around the room. This ensures that items will not be forgotten or missed. When the living room inventory has been pictured, listed, and completed, move into the next room. Again, start with an overview picture of that new room. This helps organize the contents by what room they were in. Be sure to list the name of the room on each page of the inventory list. Now the pictures and the lists are both sequenced and organized with each other.
2. During Claim Process -
2. Obtain Contents Damage Documents: If the adjuster has done their job properly they have taken photos of the contents during the inspection as well. If you have minimal or no photos of your contents you should request all those taken by the adjuster. You also want to request a copy of the complete contents inventory they had written to arrive at your contents settlement numbers. This type of documentation will also be useful for the fire insurance claim consultants you may choose.
3. Existing Claims -
3. Review Of Your Policy: Fire claim victims should take the time to and review their insurance policy. Most policyholders don’t even know basic information, like; How much building coverage do they carry? How much contents (furniture, clothing, etc.) coverage? How much they have to stay in a hotel, to rent a home or furniture? Surprisingly enough, many policyholders have no idea about any of this. In most cases this documentation has been burned in the fire. In such cases; policyholders can visit with their agent and request a “certified true copy” of their full policy. It’s also recommended to ask the agent to explain how much coverage you hold on your property.
3. For Closed Claims -
3. Obtain Copy Of Policy: Even if your claim was closed years ago and you have a differnt incurance comany, you can request a certified true copy of the “FULL” insurance policy, with Declarations page, at the time the fire occurred. As well, this type of documentation will be useful when you consult with a fire insurance claim appraiser.
4. Closed Or Settled Claims -
4. Consult A Professional: The insurance company will have an adjuster visit the property, inspect the damages, and complete an estimate on the amount of loss. It is important that you have the same process completed for yourself. How do you know the insurance adjuster is doing their job correctly? Are you willing to forfeit tens of thousands of dollars by not taking the time to make sure? The insurance company is supposed to explain all the fire insurance claim coverage that is available to the policyholder, however, this is rarely done. Sometimes it’s done on purpose, and other times it’s also done on purpose (Did you catch that? This is done on purpose more often than not.) It’s your property, it’s your policy, and it’s your money. Educate yourself to be sure you are being fully compensated for your loss. Hire a fire insurance claim professional to review the insurance company’s evaluation. Obtain your own “real-world” prices and costs to replace your property.
4. For Closed Claims -
4. Consult A Professional: Did you receive a fair settlement for your fire insurance claim? How do you know unless you ask someone? If you are unsure if you have obtained a fair settlement from your insurance company, you owe it to yourself to find out. If you have collected all the data as outlined above; you will have enough data on your claim to have a professional review it. A review of your claim will allow the fire insurance claim consultant to advise you where you stand. Leaving yourself in the dark, with a chance of forfeiting tens of thousands of dollars, or even hundreds of thousands of dollars makes zero sense. A small fee to find out where you stand is a small price to pay, compared to a large sum of insurance proceeds that you did not know existed.
(Free Consultation: Getting help is easier than you think. We provide a no cost review of any present or closed insurance files. Call for your Free Consultation at any time 919-669-9111. Or visit online at http://www.insuranceclaimsgroup.com/contact-us.html )
The reasons are simple. See, the insurance company adjuster works for the insurance company, whereas the fire claims consultant works for you. You’ve done the right thing by making sure you had insurance coverage. It’s up to you to take the next step and be sure you have received what you paid for.
Copyright of Insurance Claims Group, Inc. … Joseph P. Brennan: Learn more about http://www.fireinsuranceclaims.net and obtain a Free Consultation fire your fire insurance claims. Fire Insurance Claim Help (919) 669-9111.
