Let’s face it: fires are devastating. Whether they happen to your home or business, the aftermath can be very overwhelming and distressing. In addition to lamenting the loss of your possessions, you also have to deal with the long and stressful process of smoke claim insurance!
Coping up with the horrible loss and property damage after a fire is not easy. Most people often have a problem thinking clearly while dealing insurance companies, piles of paperwork involved in filing insurance claims and managing the fire damage restoration process. Getting enough compensation for your damaged property isn’t always that simple. But, there are some things that you can do to make the process of fire and smoke claim go a little more smoothly.
Fire and Smoke damage insurance claims are complicated. Insurance companies usually demand tons of paperwork for them. Depending on how it goes, you could have your claim denied or reduced. In some cases, an insurance company may require you to use substandard restoration companies, or offer you a fraction of the amount you expected. Some would even completely deny your claim.
The good news is, there are ways to speed up a fire and smoke damage insurance claim. By following some simple tips and strategies, you can make sure your insurance claim goes without a hitch.
SMOKE CLAIM: WHAT’S A SMOKE DAMAGE?
There are two main types of damage that can happen during a fire: smoke damage and fire damage. But we will be going over smoke damage claim in detail in this article.
When there’s fire damage, there’s usually smoke damage that comes with it too. In most cases, smoke damage is more prevalent than fire damage.
A fire in the kitchen can be quickly extinguished, but the smoke from that fire could spread into the surrounding rooms or into your ventilation or HVAC system. This means that smoke and soot can quickly spread to every corner of your house within minutes. Because of this, your kitchen fire insurance claim will only get even more complicated.
What makes things even worse is smoke can sometimes be made up of harmful chemicals. Smoke and soot often contain carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ash, and chemicals, depending on what items burned. These substances do not only spread all over your home through air currents, but they also stick to surfaces and fabrics.
Because smoke travels fast and often sticks to things, smoke damage can be even ore damaging and widespread than fire. For this reason, smoke damage insurance claims can be very complicated and filing a smoke claim can get quite a bit tricky. Make sure you do enough research on the things you need to know about smoke damage claims.
But if you want or need help taking care of your smoke or fire damage insurance claim, it would be a good idea to get a public adjuster.
HOW CAN A PUBLIC ADJUSTER HELP WITH YOUR SMOKE CLAIM?
Smoke damage insurance claims are rather common. A good public adjuster usually has firsthand experience dealing with smoke insurance claims and can help you earn a higher settlement from your insurance company. But what does a public adjuster do?
Here are some ways a public adjuster can help you:
- Investigate your claim and make sure you’re claiming every possible dollar of damage as stipulated in the terms of your insurance policy.
- Directly negotiate with your insurance company to make sure everything is covered.
- Examine the damage and appraising the value of the total loss.
- Decode your complicated insurance policy, then apply those terms to your smoke claim.
- Deciding the correct value for all items and property that was damaged in the fire.
- Provide assistance in preparing claims and completing proof of loss forms.
- Personally guides you from start to finish through the complicated process of smoke and fire damage claims.
Most homeowners have never dealt with fire or smoke damage insurance claims before. So the entire process can seem foreign and overwhelming to them.
Sadly, most insurance companies take advantage of this situation, especially to inexperienced policyholders.
Your insurance company may offer a low initial settlement, or claim that certain damages are “not covered” during an average fire damage claim.
Fortunately, a good public adjuster can help you avoid the stress of dealing with greedy insurance companies. This means more money for your claim settlement, especially at times when you need it the most.
HIRE A PUBLIC ADJSUTER FOR YOUR SMOKE CLAIM
Public insurance adjusters are armed with the expertise and knowledge when it comes to insurance policies. They can decode the details and language of your fine print and help you with filing and adjusting your claims. Most of them have prior experience in construction (and other similar fields). They also use sophisticated software to carry out an impartial investigation of a client’s property loss. Public adjusters are not only more prepared than the average policy holder when it comes to estimating costs incurred from a property loss, but they also know how to log and submit initial and supplemental claims for the policyholder.
Should You Hire a Public Adjuster for Your Smoke Claim?
Anyone thinking of filing a property insurance claim should also consider hiring a public adjuster, especially if the claim is for a high amount. Policyholders have very little to lose on this: many public adjustment companies offer to visit a property loss at no cost, just so they could help a policyholder determine the scope of damage and whether or not they ought to file an insurance claim.
Even though a policyholder is confident in the dollar value of their property loss, it doesn’t hurt to get a second opinion. In most cases, adjusters visit a home or business and discover that their loss estimate is way below than it should be. Public adjusters are pros and it’s highly unlikely that they will leave out costs in their estimations.
When hiring a public adjuster, always be sure to check whether they can legally practice. Public insurance adjusters must be licensed in every individual state they practice in. They should also be bonded and allowed to participate in continuous education courses to keep their licensure.
