How to File an Insurance Claim
Fires are more and more becoming a threat, especially in places like California where news about devastating fires seem to dominate the news. The fire insurance companies will often try to incur the least amount of losses on fire insurance claims so they can protect their own financial interests. It can be noted that the increasing risk of fires has made the knowledge about fire insurance claims in Los angeles more crucial than ever before. It is truly a harrowing experience to loss your home and all your personal belongings to a fire. This in itself can already be a traumatic experience that can devastate oneself. What you do not want on top of that is the having your homeowners’ insurance company giving you a tough time in trying to make your claim on insurance money that is rightfully yours. This article will discuss some tips to follow when talking with the homeowners’ insurance company regarding making sure you get the fair amount of fire insurance money from your claim.
Ask for an advance
At some of the worser cases the scope of the fire can forced you to move out because of the dangerous conditions of having to live there. This in turn can leave you without essentials like toiletries, clothes and, of course, a place you can stay in. While some the things mentioned may have even destroyed absolutely in the fire there is no reason for you to panic just yet. Your insurance company can help you and what you have to do is to ask one of their representative to bring you a check to wherever you are temporarily relocated. This way you can afford to wait for your ultimate insurance coverage to rebuild your home and replenish your possessions as you purchase necessities to live off temporarily.
The unwritten rule here is to take care of you all your basic needs, but you should never go beyond what is necessary. Practicality will be applauded so you should only buy what is important because there is a chance that the fire insurance company will then opt to reject reimbursement of some of the frivolous things that you may have bought. For instance, if your job calls for a new pair of slacks and a dress shirt, you should not assume that you can head to the most expensive clothing store in town so you can splurge on some designer items.
Using this provision people tend to forget that this advance will ultimately be taken off from the amount of money that you receive from the insurance company for the final claim. It is thus crucial that you do not go overboard because this will be hurting yourself in the long run even if the company does decide to reimburse you all the things that you have bought.
Itemize important things in lists and keep multiple copies of it
One of the first things that you should do is to make a list of everything. This will include all the items that you have lost in the fire for as best as you can remember. This can take quite a lot of time and reflection thus it will be up to everyone in your household to come up with this list together. Another point you have to take note is that you have to start making this list as soon as you can. This is because while you and other household members are still able to remember including everything lost by the time you file your fire insurance claim.
You should be adamant in ensuring that nothing thrown away. It will make it easier to convince the insurance company that you really lost the items on your list. If you hold onto the charred remains of your possessions for the insurance adjuster to see then your claim should be easier solved. Should you throw them away, there is a chance that the insurance company could decide to limit your compensation by excluding those items.
Do not wait for the ashes to settle
There is a policy wherein insurance companies will require you as policyholders to file their fire insurance claims as soon as you are able. The benefit for you in this is so that you can immediately to get the process started. The fire insurance company will ask you to give them a proof of loss for your claim. This is a legal document in which you will list all of the items you lost and the value for each of these items. Immediate action from you will be extremely important especially if there were many other homeowners affected by the fire such as in the case of wildfires for fire insurance claims in Los Angeles. Should you decide not act as soon as possible then you risk falling to the bottom of the pile of policyholders with similar fire insurance claims, and thus taking more time before the adjuster reaches you.
It is quite common knowledge that have to deal with the insurance company of any kind is a very confusing process that can involve countless calls, emails, letters, and documents. Just be sure that you are on top of these by keeping track of all of the documents and communication. You should also not limit these by including post office receipts of mailing. Timely taking of notes, as well as including the date and time, of every phone conversation and face to face meeting can greatly help in tracking back. You can also take it to the next level by putting all the items in a binder or file organizer. This will allow you to organize the many different kinds of correspondence, invoices, bills, permits, contracts for repairs, and insurance forms into their own separate section.
Fire insurance claim in Los Angeles can be especially difficult simply by the shear number of people that holds similar policies as your own. When choosing a fire insurance company, be sure to ask actual successful and failed claimants of their experience so you can select wisely.