Most policyholders who have suffered hurts to their property (home, business, etc.) from a fire insurance claim usually makes costly mistakes during and after the claim settlement. But, there is always one extremely expensive mistake that nearly 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.

It’s terrible enough to have your property ruined by fire, but relying on someone else to visit your property, inspect it, provide a proper value, and then trust that they got it all right… Is Simply I N S A N E ! Yet, policyholders allow this to happen all across the country, day-in and day-out. For most people it’s human nature to count their “change” at the grocery store or diligently review their dinner bill to be sure the waiter didn’t charge them for items they did not order. We’ve all done it. We go out of our way to count and keep track of our chump change. Yet, when it comes to tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars from a fire insurance claim, we rely on the insurance company without question.

There isn’t anyone who knows your property like you do. With all there is to do in properly preparing and calculating fire insurance claim hurt, it’s no wonder that in most cases, items can be forgotten or missed during the process. This couldn’t be more right if the process is done by someone from the insurance company. They have no knowledge about your building, its finishes (carpet, wallpaper), or your contents (furniture, clothing, etc.) like you. Could they possibly be more accurate than you? Furthermore, just because an adjuster works for an insurance company, inspects your property, and knows how to measure rooms, in no way means they are a qualified contractor, builder, or is certified to evaluate fire and water hurt repairs.

With the review of thousands of closed claims, we have found that in most cases, both insurance companies and policyholders unknowingly miss hurts that are hidden from the naked eye. In nearly all instances; it is a excellent thought to have a professional review your fire hurt claim. Preferably a fire insurance claims appraiser, consultant, or 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.

Yes, even when a claim has been closed and the policyholder has deposited the checks, or the home or building has been torn down, demolished, and removed, they can still receive more insurance proceeds from hurts that were not assessed properly. In many of the cases, it’s been found that tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of more dollars should have been paid. Even when a person is under the impression that they have received a honest fire claim settlement… The Fact Is – They Usually Have Not.

But, it’s truly up to the policyholders to do their part and protect themselves. Below are a few tips and thoughts to help policyholders with the review of their fire insurance claims. There are tips for those in the middle of the claim process – as well as tips for claims that have been closed some time ago.

1. Existing Claim -

1. Document Your Building Hurt: Take the time to inspect and document the hurts yourself. Take photos of all hurt rooms in your building. Take overviews of the room and then take some close-up photos of the hurt 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 simple 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 Claim -

1. Obtain Documents For Building: Your insurance adjuster had taken photos of the property during their inspection(s). If you do not have any photos yourself, or if you only have minimal photos – you should request a copy of all photos that were taken by the insurance adjuster. You will want to also request the copy of the adjusters scope. The scope will be the diagram/sketch and measurements they used to calculate the square feet of each room of the building. Request the complete line-item, detailed estimate they wrote to arrive at the settlement numbers of your claim. These documents will be useful to you and for any fire insurance claim consultant you may choose.

2. During Claim Process -

2. Document Your Contents Hurt: 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, ect. Then a close-up photo of any hurt 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 hurt 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 started at. This way items will not be missed or forgotten. Once the living room inventory has been completed, go 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 Documents Of Your Contents Hurt: The insurance adjuster has taken photos of your contents during their inspection as well. If you have no photos yourself, or minimal photos – then request all photos taken by the adjuster of your contents. You should also request the complete detailed contents inventory they have written to arrive at their numbers. This documentation will be useful for the fire insurance claim consultant you choose.

3. During Claim -

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 thought 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 right copy” of their full policy. It’s also recommended to question the agent to clarify how much coverage you hold on your property.

3. Closed Claim -

3. Obtain Copy Of Your Policy: Contact your insurance company and request a certified copy of your “FULL” insurance policy, including the Declarations page. This documentation will be useful for the fire insurance claim consultant you choose.

4. Existing Claims -

4. Consult With Professionals: The adjusters visit hurt properties, inspect fire hurts, and conclud estimates of the amount of hurts a fire has incurred. It’s extremley vital that policyholders have sch a process completed for themselves as well. Reckon about it; how do policyholders really know the insurance company’s adjusters are doing their jobs in the right manner? Should policyholders be willing to just give up tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars – without beng sure? It is the adjusters job to clarify all the fire insurance claim coverage that is available. But, this type information is usually witheld. Sometimes it’s witheld on purpose, and at other times it’s also witheld on purpose (Was that a misprint? Witholding information from policyholders is usually witheld until they really question. More often than not; such witholding 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 honest shake or not.

4. Closed Claim -

4. Consult A Independent Insurance Appraiser: Have you been provided with a honest settlement? How is a person sure they have unless they consult with a professional? Anyone who is not 100% sure if they have obtained honest and full settlement from an insurance company, owes it to themselves to investigate. If policyholders have collected and reviewed all the docs and photos that are listed above; they have sufficient documentation to consult the opinion of an independent appraiser and insurance professional. A professional review of your claim documentation is all an independent insurance appraiser needs to advise if you were treated honestly. To consider leaving yourself in the dark, with no flashlight in sight, without knowing if you’re forfeiting tens of thousands and/or hundreds of thousands of dollars in the insurance company’s pocket – doesn’t make much sense at all. The minimal fee it would take to know where you stand is a very tiny cost to pay. Compare that same tiny cost to a large chunk of insurance funds that you weren’t even aware existed… is a no-brainer.

The reasons are very simple. The fact is, the insurance company’s adjusters work directly for the insurance companies, where fire claims appraisers works directly for the policyholders. At this point you have made the right go by taking time to be sure you had insurance coverage for your property. It is now up to you to jump to the next step to ensure you have fully received what was paid for.

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