While you may expect your homeowner’s insurance to cover any severe damage to your property, the truth is that the company can deny your claim for a variety of reasons. Some of those factors sound more reasonable than others, but you don’t have to accept the insurer’s line of thinking as fact. A public adjuster can help you navigate these common reasons insurers deny fire damage claims and assist you in securing adequate compensation for the severity of the fire damage.
Lack of Documentation
If you file a claim with your insurance company stating that the fire destroyed your antique dining table, they’ll need sufficient proof that you actually owned an antique dining table. Every damaged or destroyed item at the fire scene must be accounted for. If your insurer is unconvinced that you presented your losses fully and truthfully, they may try to get out of compensating you.
Prior Damage
As a property owner, you are responsible for maintaining that property and keeping it safe for habitation. Let’s say that a fire broke out in your office, and investigators determined that frayed or damaged electrical wiring caused that fire. Your insurance company may view that faulty wiring as a failure on your part to keep your property safe, placing blame for the fire on your shoulders.
Insufficient Coverage
Does your insurance policy cover certain types of fire damage, but not others? Have a fire public adjuster help you review your insurance policy and look for fine-print exclusions. For example, some policies cover property damage from flames, but not from smoke or from sprinklers. Your insurer may deny your claim if you do not have coverage specific to the type of damage your home experienced.
Suspected Arson or Fraud
If fire investigators are unable to determine the cause of the fire, your insurance company may insinuate that you’re trying to cover up shady activity. Remember that insurance companies want to save money by paying as little in settlement costs as possible. They may use a complicated or confusing fire scene as an excuse to accuse you of setting the fire on purpose to defraud them.
In theory, your insurance company is there to provide compensation for unforeseen property losses. However, insurers don’t like to pay large settlements, and they will have plenty of excuses at their disposal to deny you the payout you deserve. If these common reasons fire damage claims are denied sound familiar to you, have a public claims adjuster help you combat these deflections.