Fire Claims

There are few things as devastating as watching your property – whether it be home or business – go up in smoke.  All the memories, the hard work, everything can be gone in an instant.  Many questions arise after a fire: What caused the fire? Could it have been prevented? What is the extent of the damage? Is the damage from fire, smoke, or water used to extinguish the flames? Can anything be salvaged?

When a family loses their home due to a fire, they need help immediately.  They need temporary housing and remediation and construction should begin almost immediately to give them their life back as they knew it before the fire.  When someone loses a business due to fire, a quick response is also important since a business loses revenue every day it is closed.  The longer it takes to get a business back open, the more value the claim has since lost revenue is increased.

Due to the need to move quickly to mitigate damages in fire losses, our skilled fire claim lawyer handles these cases very aggressively.  An insured needs to report a loss immediately to his or her insurance carrier.  An adjuster for the company should be at the property within 48-72 hours to survey the damage and prepare an estimate and scope of work.  The adjuster should also do anything necessary to safeguard the property from further damage – this may include tarps or a temporary roof to prevent rain and water from entering the premises if it is not a total loss and the roof is compromised.  Then, reputable companies need to be selected to begin work.  The process seems straightforward, but all too often clients come to our office to meet with a lawyer because their insurance company is moving too slowly in handling their claim leading to additional damages, or the insurance company denies the claim and refuses to do anything.

The number one reason why fire claims are denied by insurance companies is arson.  The insurance company alleges that the insured was involved in the fire and either caused the fire or knows who did and that third party did so at their prompting.  An insurance company has a right to deny a fire claim if this is true – if the insured set fire to his own property to collect insurance money.  However, all too often, insurance companies allege arson when there is not sufficient proof or when an insured really was not responsible.

The terms of the insurance policy determine whether or not a particular fire loss is covered.  Attorney Robert Rouse is skilled at analyzing insurance policies and the claims process to determine if an insurance company should pay for a particular loss.  If your insurance company has denied your fire claim, you should contact a lawyer at the Law Offices of Robert D. Rouse, III, today to get a free, no obligation opinion on whether or not your fire claim should be paid for by your insurance company.  If your insurance company is dragging their heels and not moving quickly enough, we can generally help with that too.  Our office has successfully assisted many victims of fire losses – both residential and commercial – with recovering money that is owed to them under an insurance policy.  We will help you get back on your feet and get the roof back over your head.  Call our experienced Greenville fire claim lawyers and Morehead fire claim lawyers today to set up your free consultation.