If you are preparing to file a fire insurance claim, it is natural to feel a little overwhelmed. Whether it was a minor fire or a total loss, there is a lot at stake with your insurance claim. You rely on your claim to get started with rebuilding and replacing lost belongings.
Fire insurance claims are often difficult and complex. The following are some of the most common questions homeowners have about their claims.
Insurance Adjusters: Who Are They and What Do They Do?
One of the most frequently asked questions about home insurance claims is this: what does an insurance adjuster do? That depends on whether they are a public insurance adjuster or not.
When you first encounter the insurance adjuster working on your claim, you should know that this is a professional hired the insurance company to assess your claim. They do not work for you and do not necessarily represent your best interests.
A public adjuster is hired the homeowner to assist with their claim. They can help with paperwork and negotiating the insurance company’s settlement.
Instead of a public insurance adjuster, homeowners also have the option of hiring an insurance lawyer. They provide all of the same assistance but can also offer more knowledge about the complexities of the contract and advance your claim to a legal dispute if need be.
How Long Do Home Insurance Claims Take?
When something happens to your home, you want the insurance claim resolved as quickly as possible. Any delays in the process are of concern, as homeowners want to get the repair process going as quickly as possible and need the funds from their claim to get started.
Small and straightforward claims can take a few days or weeks to be processed. Major claims are much more complicated, and there is a lot more at stake.
There are other factors at play as well. Claims related to a natural disaster can take longer because insurance companies are dealing with so many of them at once.
The best way to make a claim go quickly and smoothly is to stay on top of paperwork and give the insurance company accurate and complete information about your loss.
When Should You File a Claim?
You should decide whether or not you are going to file a claim quickly, as the insurance company needs to be informed of the loss without delay.
Whether or not you decide to file a claim should be based on the extent of the damage and the size of your deductible. The deductible is the amount of money you will have to spend anyway before your insurance company provides funds.
If the loss does not exceed your deductible or does not exceed it much, it may be easier to report the loss without filing a claim and paying for it out of your own pocket.
Generally speaking, with a fire loss, you are going to want to make a claim. Even a small fire can cause extensive smoke damage that affects your belongings, and salvaging or replacing them can be quite expensive.