Insurance Claim For Fire Damage

Your Responsibilities After A House Fire

Secure Your Property
All insurance policies require you to take reasonable steps to minimize additional damage to your property. This means that it is “your duty to mitigate damages”. In other words, to the best of your ability, “do what it takes to keep the damage from getting worse”. Example: have a contractor board up windows and put a tarp on the roof. Your insurance company will pay these costs when you make your claim. Other steps you might need to take to mitigate damages include the following…

Remove Personal Items
Be sure to get your money, jewelry, firearms etc…

Board up & Fence Up
To prevent vandalism, have a temporary chain-link fence installed around the property. Board up the windows of your home or building to keep vandals out.

Pay Attention
Keep a close eye on your property. Let the police department know that you would like them to drive by on occasion to make sure the vandals haven’t entered the home to steal personal property items.

Document Everything
Keep good notes! Every time you communicate with your insurance agent or adjuster about your insurance claim, policy coverage etc…

Your Fire Insurance Claim Must Be Protected

Fire and smoke damage is one of the most common causes of property damage, resulting in serious problems for homeowners, businesses and commercial property owners. In addition to damage from fire and smoke, there may also be problems related to the process of putting out the fire, such as water or chemicals inside the building, and potential damage to the building’s structure, electrical and heating-cooling systems.

Regardless of the cause of a fire (explosion/gas leak, lightning, electrical, grease, etc.), an owner needs to make quick decisions while still under a great deal of stress and confusion. Who should we to call? Where do we stay tonight? Which belongings escaped unharmed? What exactly did we have in the building? How can we start the clean-up process?

Abba Claims Consultants Public Adjusters are there to help you put your insurance to work for you. We have the experience and the knowledge to answer your immediate questions and help you through the complicated claims process. One of the first things we do is to evaluate all of the fire, smoke and water damage and take a good hard look at your policy.  Determining the “scope of loss” and analyzing your policy will help us best determine the best way to move forward with your claim to get you the maximum possible settlement.

When we evaluate fire damage, we look carefully at all the smoke damage related to the fire, including soot, raw heat and of course, all of the water or other extinguishing materials. You should be paid in full for all of the damage, not just part of it.  If your residence or business is not livable or workable, you may need to find new quarters while the damage is repaired.

Many people don’t realize that “additional living expenses” or “loss of use” like hotel accommodations, restaurant meals and dry cleaning can all be claimed and covered. We’ll help you sort out those issues, so you can get back to living your life.

The question of “repair or replace” comes up frequently after a fire.  Please be cautious if you are approached by “restoration” companies. They may try to get you to authorize unnecessary work, or ask you to sign an authorization form that will allow them to bill your insurance company directly. Before agreeing, think through your options and ask yourself: Do I want to give someone else the right to collect directly from my insurance company… especially for work that may not be needed?

Hopefully you will never find yourself staring at the fire damaged remnants of your home or business, but if you do, count on Abbas Fire Insurance Claims Adjusters to assist you in finding the experts who can help you get your property back to its pre-loss condition.

If you live in a multi-unit building and one of the other units is damaged by fire, you should call us. Your residence may have suffered damage from soot, smoke or heat that may not be apparent. Find out for sure whether or not you have a claim worth filing by calling us for a complimentary, no-obligation property evaluation.