Fire Damage

Causes of Fire Damage

The most common causes of fires that lead homeowners to file a claim include those caused by electrical issues, cooking, and misuse of appliances or other machinery in the home. Unattended pots of grease on the stove, faulty electrical wiring, coil space heaters, and unextinguished cigarettes all commonly cause fires within the home. Fire damage can be extremely costly, so it is important to carefully manage your claim and get every penny you are entitled to.

It is important to document all the damage to your home that resulted from a fire in order to restore it and ensure that the insurance company covers the costs. You need to look closely to make sure you catch all the damage.

When it comes to fires, smoke damage can be the trickiest to detect. There are certain signs to look out for. You do not want to find out that you incurred more damage than you realized when you filed your claim.

Heat Rises

Look for smoke damage throughout your home, but keep in mind the hot air moves smoke upward.

Look Everywhere

You probably thought to look in obvious places like ceilings, walls, and carpets. Keep in mind that smoke is remarkably effective at traveling throughout your home. You want to look everywhere. Every fabric in your home is at risk for smoke damage when a fire happens, from furniture upholstery to pillows to clothes. Smoke is also attracted to metal and synthetic materials, so places like couches, rugs, or any flat surface could be impacted by smoke or soot.

Examine Ductwork

You know that any surface in your home can be impacted by fire damage, but check the less visible parts of your home, too. Check your heating and air conditions systems and any ductwork. Smoke can damage these expensive systems.

What are Fire Damage Claims?

Before you begin to understand what a fire damage insurance adjuster does, it is good to know what exactly fire damage claims are. Fire damage claims can provide coverage for all kinds of fire damage, such as burnt belongings or furniture. Filing a fire damage claim is relatively easy because it is common and insurance companies are ready to compensate you if you submit the essential evidence and documents.

However, this is not the same for fire damage claims that involve damages caused by ash and smoke. This damage is much harder to prove than items that are visibly scorched. Fires can also cause other complications that pose health hazards to you and your loved ones. As such, many insurers might leverage these situations and pay you less than your deserved compensation. This is when you should hire a fire claims adjuster.

Fire insurance adjusters will help you to present the evidence in a professional way. They are also experienced enough to predict the loopholes that your insurer might take advantage of in order to pay you less in compensation. Additionally, public adjusters can help you with the process of looking for professional repair experts and inspectors.

What Do Fire Damage Public Adjusters Do?

Hiring a public adjuster will only benefit you and your fire damage claim. After hiring your fire damage insurance adjuster, they will analyze the extent of the fire damage in your home and the details of your fire insurance policy. How long this process will take is dependent on the extent of fire damage sustained. The results of the analysis are valuable because they can help to strengthen your case and increase the chances of getting the amount of compensation reassessed. When you hire a fire claims adjuster, they will be able to give you an in-depth report about your damages. They will also include the essential documentation and pieces of evidence that can help you to dispute your insurance claim. Some of the key benefits of hiring a public adjuster include:

Help You Make a Comprehensive Claim

Depending on the policy agreement, there are many things that may be covered under fire damage other than fire. For example, damage caused by the sprinkler system is typically covered under fire insurance. So too is any water damage that may be caused by overhead tanks bursting. Experienced fire and smoke damage public adjusters will carefully scrutinize your insurance policy and advise you on the claims to make. This ensures that if you have suffered a loss that is covered by your fire insurance, it will be included in the claim.

Help you with the Claim Process

It is important to work with a public adjuster when making a fire damage claim. The evidence, the way you present it, and the terminology you use matter when it comes to getting you the maximum settlement. Public adjusters will also guide you on what statements to make to insurance adjusters and much more. This way, you are assured that you are presenting a solid claim and doing it in the right way. In turn, this helps you minimize the chances of a lower payout or claim rejection.

Help you Negotiate with Insurance Companies

Insurance adjusters are experienced in the claim assessment process of many insurance companies. Typically, many public adjusters once worked for insurance companies. This is invaluable as it helps them negotiate better terms for you. Insurance companies like using technical jargon to get out of paying the maximum settlement, but this is unlikely to faze an experienced fire damage public adjuster.