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.
As if it’s not devastating enough to see your belongings and property consumed by a fire, but then relying on someone else – without knowing their credentials – to value your belongings and property, provide the proper costs to repair or replace, and simply trust that they’ve done this all correctly without missing anything… Has To Be I N S A N E ! Yet, homeowners and business owners allow such things to happen all across the nation, each and every day. For the majority of people it’s simple human nature to count their “change” after ordering fast-food or to diligently scan their dinner bill and be certain that the waitress didn’t charge for any items they didn’t order. We’ve all done these exact things. Time and time again we will go out of our way to count and penny-pinch of our chump change. Yet, when it comes to the tens of thousands and even the hundreds of thousands of dollars we’ve lost from a fire insurance claim, we rely on an insurance company representative without scanning, reviewing or keeping track.
No one knows your property like you do. There is much to do to properly prepare and configure a fire insurance claim that in most instances, items are forgotten or missed during the process. Especially if it’s done by someone at your insurance company. They don’t know about your building, your property, or your contents (furniture, clothing, etc.) like you do. How could they possibly be as accurate as you? Furthermore, just because an insurance company adjuster visits your property for an inspection does not mean they are a professional contractor, builder, or certified in fire and water damage restoration.
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. During Claim Process -
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. For Closed Claims -
1. Obtain Documents Of Your Building: The insurance adjuster has taken photos of your building during their inspection. If you have no photos yourself, or minimal photos – then request all photos taken by the adjuster from the insurance company. You should also request the diagram/sketch they used to calculate the square footage of your building. Also request the complete detailed estimate they have written to arrive at their numbers. This documentation will be useful for the fire insurance claim consultant you choose.
2. During 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. During Claim -
3. Review Your Policy: Fire victims must take the time to review their insurance policy. You must know the basics; How much coverage do you have on your building? How much coverage do you have for your contents (furniture, clothing, etc.)? How much coverage do you have to stay in a hotel or to rent a home or furniture? Surprisingly, many people don’t know this. In many cases the policy has been damaged in the fire. If this is the case; visit your agent and ask for a certified copy of your full policy. Ask your agent to help explain how much coverage you have.
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. Existing Claims -
4. Consult With A Professional: The insurance companies have their adjuster visit your property, inspect your damages, and complete estimates on the amount of damage you have incurred. It’s very important you have the same exact process completed yourself. How does a policyholder know the insurance company adjuster has done their job correctly? Should you be willing to give up tens of thousands of dollars by not taking steps to be sure? The insurance adjuster should explain all the fire insurance claim coverage’s that is available to you, however, such information is rarely disclosed. Sometimes it is even done on purpose, and on other occasions it’s also done on purpose (Did you read that? Forgetting to advise you of certain coverage’s is usually withheld until you ask. More often than not; it’s done on purpose.) It is your belongings, it is your money, and it is your policy. You must educate yourself to ensure you’re being fully compensated for the fire damages. You should consider hiring a fire insurance claim professional. Someone who can look out for you and review the insurance company’s value of your loss. You need to be in-the-know by obtaining your own “real-world” costs and estimates to repair or replace your property.
4. Closed Or Settled Claims -
4. Consult A Independent Insurance Appraiser: Have you been provided with a fair settlement? How is a person sure they have unless they consult with a professional? Anyone who is not 100% sure if they have obtained fair and full settlement from an insurance company, owes it to themselves to investigate. If policyholders have collected and reviewed all the docs and photos that are listed above; they have sufficient documentation to consult the opinion of an independent appraiser and insurance professional. A professional review of your claim documentation is all an independent insurance appraiser needs to advise if you were treated fairly. To consider leaving yourself in the dark, with no flashlight in sight, without knowing if you’re forfeiting tens of thousands and/or hundreds of thousands of dollars in the insurance company’s pocket – doesn’t make much sense at all. The minimal fee it would take to understand where you stand is a very tiny cost to pay. Compare that same tiny cost to a large chunk of insurance funds that you weren’t even aware existed… is a no-brainer.
(Free Consultation: We will review your present or closed insurance claim files at no cost. Free Consultation. Call Today 919-669-9111 or visit http://www.insuranceclaimsgroup.com/contact-us.html )
The reasons are very simple. The fact is, the insurance company’s adjusters work directly for the insurance companies, where fire claims appraisers works directly for the policyholders. At this point you have made the right move by taking time to be sure you had insurance coverage for your property. It is now up to you to jump to the next step to ensure you have fully received what was 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.
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