Fire claims
Fire and smoke claims
After a fire you're asked to list everything you owned, with prices, while living out of a motel. Most fire claims that go wrong go wrong in that list, in the smoke cleanup, or in how long the insurer pays for you to live somewhere else.
I take fire and smoke claims for homes, rentals and small businesses, including shops that lost stock, equipment and months of income. I'll work with the contents list you've started, push back on depreciation that doesn't fit the policy, and keep track of the deadlines for recovering what was held back.
Where fire claims come up short
These are the gaps that come up most often in a fire file.
The contents list
Items left off, priced at garage-sale value, or cut without a reason. A careful list, room by room, usually recovers more.
Smoke and soot
Rooms the fire never reached can still need cleaning, sealing or replacing. Insurers often pay for a wipe-down and stop.
Living costs cut short
Additional living expense should run while the home can't be lived in, within the policy's limits. It's often stopped early.
Held-back depreciation
Many policies pay the rest once you rebuild or replace. That has its own deadline, and it's easy to miss.
Code upgrades
Rebuilding to today's code costs more. Whether the policy pays the difference depends on an endorsement many people have.
Lost business income
A shop closed by fire loses income as well as stock. That's a separate part of a business policy, with its own proof.
Fire and smoke questions
The insurer wants a recorded statement. Do I have to give one?
Most policies require you to cooperate, and that can include a statement or an examination under oath. You can have a lawyer with you, and it's worth having one before an examination under oath.
Can I throw out ruined things?
Photograph everything first, and ask the adjuster in writing before you throw out anything large. Keep a sample of damaged materials where you can.
Who pays for the motel?
Additional living expense, if your policy has it, should cover reasonable extra costs while you can't live at home. Keep every receipt.