How to Deal With an Insurance Adjuster After a Fire in Your Home

When there is a fire in the house, it is always a huge cost. It is necessary to restore the house, buy a lot of necessary things to replace those damaged by fire or burnt down. And all this translates into a colossal amount of money. Fortunately, the standard homeowners insurance policy covers fire damage. But there are also some peculiarities. In particular, you will definitely be visited by an insurance adjuster, a specialist in the service of an insurance company who is called upon to assess the damage caused and compare it with the respective information in your claim for compensation. It can happen that you count on certain insurance payments, but they are either below your expectations or even denied. And this is due to the assessment of the insurance adjuster.

Who Are Insurance Adjusters and What Does Their Job Imply?

The term insurance adjuster refers to a specialist who deals with preliminary examination and assessment of the damage caused. Such specialists are on the staff of insurance companies, and, accordingly, act in their interests. The principles of insurance adjusters' work are based on objective assessment of the damage. But, at the same time, it must be kept in mind that these specialists, although they observe the principles of justice and integrity, will not be on your side in case of a disputable situation. They will defend the interests of their employer, i.e. the insurance company.

As it is up to the insurance adjuster to approve a claim or delay it, an accurate strategy of dealing with such a specialist is a key to success when claiming fire damage compensation.

What Intricacies You Can Face When Applying for Fire Damage Compensation

Even in case of partial loss insurance claims it is necessary to be aware of some aspects that will be a pitfall on your way to the compensation.

• Be sure that the damage you claim is caused by a reason listed in your HO3 policy. This means when you submit an insurance claim for the damage caused by fire's side effects, i.e. ash, smoke or soot, which are not listed in your policy, the insurance adjuster can cancel your claim.
• If the damage was caused by a natural disaster like a wildfire, which damaged lots of houses, the insurance adjuster can delay your claim due to a heavy workload.
• Be sure that all the damage has been documented properly before you start the restoration process. The adjuster can dispute the fact of matching of the damaged items to those from your claim if they have been removed.

So, be sure you are fully ready to contact an insurance adjuster in order not to make crucial mistakes that will lead to the refusal of an insurance company to compensate for your losses.

Some Do's and Don'ts You Should Take into Account When Dealing with an Insurance Adjuster

So, here we come to basic tips on how to deal with your insurance adjuster after a fire. What should be definitely done?

• File a claim as soon as possible, without any delay.
• Take photos of all the sites of your property to describe all the damages caused by the fire.
• Ask your fire marshal and mitigation/restoration contractors to provide you with necessary recommendations and documentation to be presented to the claim adjuster.
• Apply for a contractor's estimate and recommendation to present them to the insurance company.
• Read your insurance policy beforehand to be sure that you will get compensation.
• Hire a public adjuster to get 100% results.

What mistakes should you try to avoid when contacting an insurance adjuster?

• Delaying filing a claim after the fire is a bad idea.
• Do not agree to sign contracts with the contractors that are recommended by your insurance company. Better, get some quotes from independent restoration/mitigation contractors.
• Do not start any restoration work before you have agreed on the Scope of Loss with your claim adjuster.
• Do not use abstract descriptions for your loss reporting. Only strict facts and prices.
• Do not throw any item before the claim adjuster has visited your home to document all the damage done.
• Do not be afraid of the pressure the insurance company may try to put on you. In case you are not sure that the offer of the insurance company is relevant, better apply for a public adjuster's services.

Public Adjuster vs Insurance Adjuster

Who is a public adjuster we are talking about? The functions of this pro are quite similar to the insurance adjuster's ones. But there is a big difference. Whereas an insurance adjuster protects the interests of an insurance company, a public adjuster is hired by you and protects your interests only. His competencies include documenting and evaluating all the damage caused by fire in your house, filling in all the documents needed and representing you in the insurance company's office. With the help of a public adjuster, the amount of compensation can be much higher. His functions allow arguing about compensation's size, suing an insurance company and filing an appeal if needed.

As a result, even if you have made several mistakes when dealing with an insurance adjuster, the work of a public adjuster will settle them and bring you as much money as you need to get a pre-loss condition of your house.