Common Losses

Every 24 seconds, a fire department in the United States responds to a fire somewhere in the nation, with the majority being in a residential home. When trying to cope with this horrible loss and property damage, people often have difficulty thinking clearly while dealing with the complexities of insurance companies, the paperwork and handling the fire damage restoration process. Getting adequate compensation for your damaged property after a fire isn’t always straightforward. Hiring a competent public adjuster will help provide comfort to you and your family and simplify the claim and recovery process.

The smoke that comes from a fire can often cause more damage than the fire itself, depending on the size and how quickly it gets put out. While usually a fire can be quickly contained, the smoke damage is almost always extensive. It bleeds into paint, wood and furniture and contaminates cloth and other materials. In some cases, smoke and soot damage may be the result of a furnace misfiring known as a "puffback" and not directly from a fire at all. It might seem like smoke gets everywhere, and that’s because it does. That’s one of many reasons why filing an insurance claim for smoke damage can get complicated.

Within minutes of water intrusion, damage can begin. Unwelcome moisture starts by staining ceilings, walls, and floors, and then can turn into dangerous mold growth. Due to these factors, you may need to start the clean-up and restoration process before your residential water damage insurance claim is even filed. Water damage insurance claims are the most frequently reported property damage claim. Because of their frequency and because they cause significant financial expense to insurance providers, you may find that the fast and easy settlement you were promised suddenly turns into a long, hard battle with your insurance agent.

Damages to a home caused by windstorms and hail related perils will present complex issues to a homeowner. The immediate aftermath is what many homeowners are not prepared for. Property damage issues such as food spoilage from power outages, fallen trees, blown roof shingles, exposed roof sheathing, and water intrusion to the interior of a home may occur. Hailstorms can cause significant roof damage, window damage and destruction to structure siding. Despite this, hail damage claims are notoriously challenging to document and substantiate without the right approach and expertise.

A lightning strike can touch off a fire in a home or commercial property. However, for lightning losses that do not result in an ensuing fire loss, most damage is caused by the electrical surge that is produced by the strike. Although not always immediately known, lightning can cause catastrophic damage to appliances, electronics, computers and equipment, phone systems, electrical fixtures, and the electrical infrastructure of your home or business. The primary challenge in assessing and measuring the scope of damage from any electrical loss is first to determine the extent of the damage to the property. A public adjuster may often bring in experts to help make a scope of loss determination.

Finding out that your home has been either robbed or vandalized – or both – is terrifying. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, there are approximately 3.7 million burglaries that occurred every year in the U.S. Negotiating an insurance settlement after a theft or vandalism of your home can be complicated and frustrating. Hiring an experienced public adjuster, will not only help in recovering benefits for items that were stolen or vandalized, but will also ensure that property damage that has been caused as a result of entry to the premises is addressed.