It’s normal to feel overwhelmed and uncertain about how your fire damage insurance claim will turn out. But you don’t have to let your fears continue. At Miller Public Adjusters, we can assess your loss, read your policy, and give you an expert’s view of what to expect from your house fire claim — all for free.

Take the next 4 minutes to explore if you can deliver what your claim will require, or if a public adjuster can help.

Do You Have the Time?

Calculating the full and fair value of a fire damage insurance claim is a time- and labor-intensive process. Every homeowner’s claim is unique, but at a minimum, you will need to:

• Read your homeowners insurance policy to ensure you are complying with your contractual obligations.
• Set a policy-based strategy for how best to apply your coverages.
• Take pictures of your damages, many, from all angles.
• Defend against anyone making decisions about your property, without first informing you of all your options, weighing the cost implications of each, and letting you decide what is right for you.
• Research a pool of local contractors, solicit bids, and choose who you believe will do the best job.
• Create a personal property inventory, identifying the age and replacement cost for each item damaged in your house fire.
• Prove the value of damages to your home/buildings and personal property.
• Save and submit receipts for any claim-related expenses you incur, i.e., additional living expenses, loss of use, etc.
• Claim for reimbursement of recoverable depreciation as you rebuild your home and replace your personal property.
• Keep meticulous records of all activity related to your claim, including communications, coverage decisions, estimates and valuations, expenses, etc.
• Negotiate with vigor.

Do You Have the Skills?

Fire claims are particularly complex losses. Smoke, soot, and toxic chemicals can cause damage throughout a home, even if the flames were contained to one room or floor. Fighting a fire can also result in water and/or chemical damage, broken doors and windows, holes in the roof, collapsed ceilings, etc.

Documenting the full extent of your damages, proving appropriate valuations for your losses, and negotiating full compensation from your insurer requires expertise in:

• Policy language and laws
• Loss investigation
• Damage remediation
• Building design
• Construction estimates, means and methods
• Property valuation
• Settlement negotiations

Certainly, your insurance carrier will send a claims adjuster to process your fire claim. Keep in mind that, whether he or she is a staff adjuster employed directly by the carrier, or an independent adjuster working under contract for the carrier, their job is to protect the carrier’s interests, not yours. The duty to prove the full extent of your damages falls squarely on you, the policyholder. 

Do You Need Help?

Not every property insurance claim needs a public adjuster to make sure the policyholder is treated fairly. For those who lack either the time or skills to settle their claims successfully, though, talking to a public adjuster is a smart move.

At Miller Public Adjusters, we take a whole-team approach to settling property claims. With in-house policy and law consultants, estimators and personal property specialists all supporting the public adjusters, our aim is to get you every dollar your policy promises.

Take the guesswork out of your fire claim. Request a free, no obligation claim review today, so you can know what to expect tomorrow.