Fire Damage

The costs of repairing fire and smoke damage can be significant. Unfortunately, homeowner’s insurance companies aren’t always ready to cover the costs.

Insurers often attempt to minimize the home repair costs for damage caused by a fire loss. If your home has been damaged beyond repair, or if local ordinances or building codes prevent repair to your property, the insurance company owes you the full amount of the dwelling limits under the policy, and maybe more depending on additional policy coverages and endorsements. Insurers often improperly attempt to pay less than the policy limits under these scenarios.

Insurers also attempt to pay less than the amount owed for damaged personal property, or to claim that items that are destroyed by fire, smoke exposure, or water damage from the fire extinguishing efforts, can be cleaned and/or repaired rather than replaced. Insurers often attempt to pay for damaged personal property after a deduction for depreciation when the policy requires payment for the full replacement cost.

There are strict requirements in most policies that you must comply with following a fire loss. These often involve providing proof of damaged or destroyed items, preparing a detailed inventory of all damaged personal property, including the age, purchase price, and replacement cost of each item, providing a recorded statement and Proof of Loss, and testifying during an Examination Under Oath.

If your home has been damaged or destroyed by a fire, the last thing you should have to worry about is whether your insurance company will provide the necessary compensation to pay for the damages. The truth is that a fire loss can result in severe disruption to your family’s life, leave your home in ruins, and destroy many of your material possessions that can never be replaced.

We have challenged insurers over every aspect of fire loss claims: home repair versus rebuild, replacement value versus depreciated value of personal property, smoke extraction versus replacement, and reimbursement for temporary living expenses.

You won’t have to pay us any attorney’s fees or costs unless we recover money for you. If we recover money for you, our attorney’s fees and costs are typically paid by the insurance company.

Call us for a free consultation at 813-575-4442. We will explain in detail how we can fight your insurance company to obtain the money that you deserve.