Most policyholders who have suffered damages to their property (home, business, etc.) from fire insurance claims usually makes costly mistakes during and after the claim settlement. However, there is always one extremely expensive mistake that almost all policyholders make over and over again. What’s worse is that they do it without even knowing it. The most costly mistake is; Most policyholders only rely on the insurance company’s adjuster to inspect, process, and estimate the complete fire insurance claim without any questions. They accept the insurance adjuster’s complete evaluation without any comparisons, estimates from their own contractors, or a review by a fire insurance claim professional. This will be the most costly mistake you would ever make in your entire lifetime.

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 else comes close to knowing your property like you do. With all that is needed to properly prepare and configure the damages associated with a fire insurance claim, almost in all instances, items are missed and forgotten during the claims process. Especially if this is completed by someone other than you. The insurance adjusters don’t know all there is to know about your building, your personal property, or the quality of your contents ( clothing, furniture, etc. ) like you do. How could another person possibly be as accurate as you when calculating such items? Further, simply because the insurance adjuster visits the property for an inspection, in no way shape or form means that they are a professional contractor, builder, or qualified and certified in fire and water damage restoration and evaluation.

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.

It’s true, even if claims have been settled and all insurance proceeds have been deposited, or the building has been torn down and removed, policyholders can recover more insurance proceeds if the damages were missed or not addressed properly. In most cases, tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of more dollars are recovered… AFTER the insurance company has closed the claim. Even policyholders that believe 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 Your Building Damage: Take the time to inspect and document the damages yourself. Take photos of all damaged rooms in your building. Take overviews of the room and then take some close-up photos of the damaged ceilings, walls, floors, windows, doors, etc. of that room as well. Work your way around the building to the left (clock wise). Before entering the next room, closet, or hall - take an overview. This will be an easy way to organize which photos belong to which rooms. An example is; Overview of living room, then from top to bottom, photos of ceiling, walls, windows, doors, then the floor. Then the first photo of the next room is an overview, and so on. (No pictures or close-ups of contents yet, just the rooms.)

1. Closed or Settled 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 Process -

2. Document Your Contents Damage: Next is to visit each room and closet once again to inventory your contents. Take an overview photo of each piece of furniture, pair of shoes, shirts, pants, etc. Then a close-up photo of any damage on that item. Write each item down on a Contents Inventory Form. ( Download one by visiting http://www.insuranceclaimsgroup.com/forms.html ) Similar to the way you have photographed and organized your building damage photos, you should do the same with your contents. Example; Take overview photo of living room, then work your way around the room to the left (clockwise). Photograph and list all the items on each wall until you get back to the doorway you began at. This way items will not be missed or forgotten. Once the living room inventory has been completed, move to the next room and start by taking an overview photo of the room. this helps organize what room the contents were located. List the name of the room at he top of each page of your inventory list. Now the photos and the list are both organized in sequence with each other.

2. Closed Or Settled Claims -

2. Obtain Contents Damage Inventory Docs: As with the building items the adjuster has also taken pictures of the contents as well. If you have no pictures what so ever; or very minimal pictures of your belongings you can request all the pictures taken by the adjuster at the time of their inspection. You will also need to request a complete, detailed copy of the inventory list they compiled to arrive at their proposed settlement numbers. This is the type of documentation that will also be very useful for the fire insurance claim appraisers you 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 Copies Of The Policy: Contact your insurance company or agent and request a certified copy of the “FULL” insurance policy and Declarations page at the time of the fire. This can be requested even if you have a different insurance company or if the loss was several years ago. Such documentation will be helpful at the time you consult with your fire insurance claim expert.

4. During Claim -

4. Consult With Professionals: The adjusters visit damaged properties, inspect fire damages, and conclude estimates of the amount of damages a fire has incurred. It’s extremely important that policyholders have sch a process completed for themselves as well. Think about it; how do policyholders really know the insurance company’s adjusters are doing their jobs in the correct manner? Should policyholders be willing to just give up tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars - without being sure? It is the adjusters job to explain all the fire insurance claim coverage that is available. However, this type information is usually withheld. Sometimes it’s withheld on purpose, and at other times it’s also withheld on purpose (Was that a misprint? Withholding information from policyholders is usually withheld until they actually ask. More often than not; such withholding happens on purpose.) It is your home or building, it is your insurance repair money, and it is your policy - the one you have PAID for. You are responsible for educating yourself. You need to ensure you’re receiving the complete compensation you’re entitled to. It’s up to he policyholder to seek and hire the fire insurance claim appraiser or consultant. You need to consult someone who can complete a full review, looking out for your interests, and diligently review your insurance company’s documents of your claim. You deserve to know if you obtained a fair shake or not.

4. Closed Claim -

4. Consult A Fire Professional: Have you obtained a fair settlement for your fire insurance claim? How can you be sure unless you ask someone who knows for sure? If you are not 100% sure if you have received fair settlement from the insurance company, you most definitely owe it to yourself to investigate. If you have collected and reviewed all the documents as outlined earlier; you will have sufficient documentation to consult the opinion of a professional. A quick review of your claim is all a fire insurance claim consultant needs to advise you where you stand. To leave yourself in the dark, with a notion of forfeiting tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars on the table - does not make much sense. A minimal fee to gain an understanding of where you stand is a tiny price to pay. Compare that to a large lump of insurance proceeds that you were not aware existed.

(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 clear and simple. The facts are this, the adjusters work directly for the insurance company, where the fire insurance claims appraiser or consultant works directly for you. You already made the right choice by making sure you were properly insured. It is now up to you to continue with the next steps. That is to research that you have properly compensated for the policy you paid for.

Copyrights of Insurance Claims Group, Inc. & Joe Brennan: Learn more information about Fire Insurance Claims and obtain a Free Consultation and Free Fire Claims Assistance for all fire claims. Fire Damage Help at (919) 669-9111.

categories: fire insurance claims,fire claims,fire damage,fire damage claims,homeowners insurance,property claims,insurance claims help,legal,home and family,finance,home and garden