Smoke Damage Public Adjuster
Fire and smoke damage is one of the most destructive as it leads to considerable losses. Once your house is on fire even resulting from the smallest source, the damage from smoke can be crushing.
Usually, smoke damage is caused by the following issues:
- accidental fire on the premises, which is accompanied by smoke and soot,
- a fire in the neighborhood (this is particularly true for condo residents, as, if your neighbors' apartment is on fire, the smoke can get through the ventilation into your premises and damage them too),
- the regular use of brick ovens, chimneys, fireplaces, which is more common for HoReCa businesses.
Yet, there are lots of peculiarities you can face when trying to claim an insurance company for compensation. What are they?
- Usually, people who've suffered from smoke damage are upset and can't make adequate decisions. They are confused and depressed.
- The damage caused by smoke can be not visible at a glance, yet it can ruin your electronics, damage the wallpapers and ventilation, cover all the surfaces with soot, spoil the air quality.
- In case of smoke damage, it is accompanied by fire damage almost in all situations, which you need to overcome too.
- Filing a claim with your insurance company is also a complex task, which you may not be ready to cope with.
Besides, you need to evaluate correctly all the damage caused by smoke to get the money that is due and payable. All this could be done by your loyal partner in dealing with the insurance company - a smoke damage public adjuster.
How Does a Public Adjuster Work with Smoke Damage Cases?
When hiring a public adjuster for smoke damage claims, you need to understand how they will deal with the task.
It is necessary for a smoke damage public adjuster to get maximum data and evaluate all the losses you've suffered because of the fire and smoke in your home. To do this, they complete a chemical sponge test, which allows calculating how many surfaces have been damaged by smoke.
Besides, smoke damage public adjusters use special methods to evaluate the total cost of losses caused by smoke.
Is It Real to Be Compensated for the Smoke Damage?
A regular homeowners insurance policy (HO3) covers smoke damage even if it is caused without any fire damage. That means you may be compensated even in case of fire in your neighbor's apartment or wildfire raging somewhere near your house. Yet, there are lots of intricacies you may face when claiming smoke damage yourself.
- After the fire or smoke damage, it is necessary to document thoroughly all the losses before a restoration company removes them.
- Getting your incident case number from the fire marshal is a must.
- Filing a claim with your insurance company is not a piece of cake.
- You may need to develop a strategy of communication with your insurance company to get the maximum possible compensation.
Be sure that you'll cope with all these tasks if you apply for the services of a smoke claim public adjuster.
How Can a Public Adjuster Help Me with a Smoke Damage Claim?
Let's start from how a smoke claim public adjuster works in a detached house.
First of all, you should understand that, as soon as your home has become completely safe after the fire extinguishing or removing the source of smoke, you should immediately turn to a smoke damage public adjuster. This solution will help you to accurately document all the consequences of the fire or smoke. Since the public adjuster has the experience and knowledge of how to properly document and assess the damage, you will be able to create a complete preliminary report for the insurance company with their help.
Also, a smoke damage public adjuster will help you draw up all applications, control their consideration by the insurance company. In case of smoke damage, this is especially important, especially if there wasn't any fire itself in your house. In this case, the insurance company may consider that the damage from smoke is not so great, and will compensate you at a minimum. The smoke damage public adjuster will be able to challenge such a decision and prove that the smoke in your home has resulted in significant loss and damage.
And one more aspect: sometimes a wrong choice of a restoration company can negate all the efforts to restore your property. It is difficult to eliminate the smell of smoke, and even pros cannot always notice some subtle damage. Entrust this task to a public adjuster, and you will be calm about your property.
As for apartments in a condominium, the tasks of a public adjuster are about the same, but in addition to some other things, they can help you with filing a lawsuit against the perpetrators of smoke. In general, smoke claim public adjuster services are intended to help you enforce your rights as a policyholder.
Is It Costly to Hire a Smoke Damage Public Adjuster?
Be sure that smoke damage public adjusters are not affiliated with insurance companies. That's why the burden of payment to them falls on your shoulders. But their work is definitely worth it as the scope of services you get allows you to save your time, decrease expenses and get as much money as you are due for.
Normally, smoke damage public adjusters charge either flat or contingency fee. In the former case, be sure that the fee you intend to pay covers all the services you need not to fall into the trap of paying extra fees. In the latter case, you will pay a fee of no more than 20% of your total compensation. Rates are usually lower.
In any case, you'll get more money by hiring a smoke damage public adjuster than claiming for compensation without their help.