Fires are devastating and can cause lives, livelihoods and millions of dollars in damages. Especially during the hot summers, fires are becoming more and more frequent. And because of this, most fire insurance companies are trying to hold out payments for fire insurance claims in los angeles so they can ensure profit. Because of this, it has become much more important for each and every homeowners to be familiar with how fire insurance works.
To lose a home, belongings, and even lives can be a harrowing experience for anyone. Having your fire insurance company give you a hard time makes it all the more bitter. This article will try to give out some tips into how you will handle your fire insurance claim and cut through all the hassle you may experience.
Get an advance
A fire causes a frantic panic and thus it is understandable that you may not be able to salvage any clothes and you may not have enough money to get a place to stay in while your fire insurance claim, los angeles, is being processed. First of all, you should not panic as there is a remedy for this. Most fire insurance companies allow their clients to get an advance to cover expenses. You should immediately call the fire insurance company after, and even during the fire to make sure that your needs are being tracked and so the process starts as soon as possible.
These expenses, however, are to be examined by the insurance company later and should be properly documented. Make sure to limit your purchases to the necessities such as a place to stay while your house is being renovated, toiletries and other essentials. Because, the money you will get may be substantial, there is a tendency for people to go overboard to make up for the sad spell they might experience after losing a home. The insurance company might not look too kindly in this and may even factor in with any decision they may make regarding your claim. And lastly, remember that this amount will be deducted to the final amount you will claim so keep expenses to a minimum, otherwise, you may not be able to rebuild the house the way you wanted.
Itemize everything
When your mind has cleared and you have already notified the insurance company, one of the first things you should do is to create a list of all the things that you have lost and their value. This may take some time and a long discussion among your family members. Make sure that they are in the right frame of mind before you start asking them. The longer that it drags on however, may cause some lapses in memory especially with a traumatic experience happening so recently.
As a simple tip if you are reading this guide as a precaution before the fire occurs, you may want to keep an updated list as early as possible. If you find the task taxing, you may employ the help of inventory apps that can automate menial steps.
And finally, you have to make sure that nothing gets thrown away from all the rubble. It is afterall, so much easier to say that the items were truly lost in the fire if you are holding their charred remains before the insurance company agent’s eyes. You should also make an effort to keep the items in place as they are. This means protecting them from the elements such as the rain and heat while keeping pests off and possible looters.
Keep the insurance company on their toes
You should report the fire as soon as possible and keep your fire insurance company in the mix for any developments. As the owner of the property that is currently being razed by fire, it would do well for your investigation to appear as though you are making all effort to loop them in with all the details so they can see for themselves if they wish. The company will ask you to provide them a copy of your “proof of loss” for all the items that are included in the fire and with the value of each.
Should the fire unfortunately encompass multiple homes, a prompt communication with the insurance company means having your case looked at by the company on top of the others. Being on the bottom of the pile may mean you living in your temporary home for longer than you can afford.
When conversing with one of the company’s agents regarding your insurance claim can seem way too complicated than what it should be. You will probably be bombarded with a series of emails, texts, phone calls, and even face to face conversations. You have to take note of all this exchanges and keep a soft copy of every one of them if you can. It might be useful to keep a binder to organize all the receipts, memos, notices and every piece of detail that can be used to assess the final insurance claim.
While keeping multiple copies of the hard documents may be wise to have a back up, you should always keep the original safe somewhere. If you have storage space, you may keep them there and just work with the duplicates when processing your claim. At some point, the insurance company may ask for the original copy and you can promptly provide them with one to speed up the process. It is tough enough to wait for the completion of your claim process and it could get even tougher if you would not be able to complete the stuff needed on your end.
Always remember that the law provides that insurance companies be held liable should an insurance claim go beyond the time needed. The law recognizes the need for swift fire insurance claims in los angeles which asserts a time limit for claims to finally get released.
It is bad enough to lose your belongings to fire, convoluted insurance claims should not pile on the misery.
