Filing a Smoke or Fire Insurance Claim
5/20/2018 (Permalink)
A fire occurring at your place of business can put a lot of different problems on your plate at once, and at times it can be devastating. Luckily, insurance claims for smoke damaged and fire damage are often covered by many insurance carriers. Documenting the incident may not seem important right after a fire happens, but keeping a well organized list of details about the event can help smooth the process of filing a claim with your insurance company.
How You Can Help
Keeping in mind that your insurance policy likely covers damage from fire, make a list of the following to give to your adjuster:
• Date of loss
• Whether the damage was from fire and smoke, or strictly smoke damage
• Location of damage
• Other parties involved
• Condition of the property
• Any content damaged as a result of the fire and if the items can be repaired
• Related injuries
• A police and fire department report
There is usually a section in your policy that outlines a specific time frame during which you can file your claim after the date of loss. Familiarizing yourself with your policy is a great course of action in order to give yourself the necessary tools in the unfortunate event that you have fire damage, smoke damage, or soot damage. You will likely exchange many emails and phone conversations with various contractors and insurance agents during this time as well. Keeping these conversations organized and documented can save you from future headache.
The Aftermath
A good insurance policy can lessen the sting of a fire’s aftermath. In fact, many carriers will work with you through the process of rebuilding. Generally, insurance adjusters understand reasonable requests from policyholders, such as requesting that your local Denton, TX, contractor is IICRC-certified. If you have had a fire at your business, keeping composure and working with your insurance company can help your business get back on its feet in no time. For more information, visit http://www.SERVPROdenton.com/.