If your home has been damaged in a fire, you should be aware of what your insurance policy covers and how to contact your insurance company. If the blaze was accidental, the insurance company might pay you to live in a home that is not inhabitable. Businesses are also covered by different types of insurance, so make sure to check with your business owner's association.

In general, an insured loss takes priority over other insurance litigation. Depending on the policy wording, the policyholder might be required to make a claim to the insurer in order to settle any other claims and not just the fire loss. This can be confusing because it could involve an expense that you want to avoid paying out of pocket. The solution is for you to contact your insurance company to discuss the situation and determine who will pay what amounts as fire damage replacement costs. Once you settle on an appropriate sum, the fire loss is settled. If there is damage to your home or building, you should be able to determine how much damage has been done and what it will cost to repair the damage. Ideally, you should determine the value of your property so that you can settle on a reasonable amount.

Initial Steps to Take:

The following are the initial steps you should take if your property is damaged in a fire:

1. Call your insurance company and find out what they are willing to pay.

2. Contact a general contractor or area builder in your area, or try to contact the insurance agent who insured your home and ask for his/her recommendations.

3. If you live in a state where this is available, write the loss down and keep it on hand for when you have to submit an estimate for the replacement of your items that were lost in the fire.

4. Find out if your homeowner's insurance covers living expenses. Remember that you will have to pay for your living expenses yourself.

5. Make sure to get a copy of the fire report from the Fire Department so that you can use it to document the loss, especially if you have made a claim for living expenses and cannot provide receipts for these expenses.

Dealing With your Insurance Company:

Even if you are dealing with a loss that is covered by your homeowners' insurance policy, there may be some confusion or disagreement over what the policy coverage amounts to in replacement costs. You also may have to contact your insurance company to get a specific amount that they will pay in order to repair the damage caused by the fire. In this case, you should try to obtain an initial estimate from the general contractor or builder who is bringing up the work on your property so that you can present it as an appropriate cost for your insurance company.

In addition, you have the right to expect that your insurance company is going to be a partner in determining what the appropriate costs are and how much they are willing to offer in order to settle your claim. You also have the right to expect that your insurance company will play an active role in helping you get out of an accident situation as quickly as possible with minimal out-of-pocket expenses. 

When to Seek Legal Action:

If you have suffered a fire incident that caused considerable damage to your property and your insurance company is not responding appropriately to your situation, in most cases, you can sue the responsible party for damages. However, you will need to take a few steps to do so. The first thing you need to do is file a police report for the fire loss. You also need to make certain that this report is filed accurately and in accordance with state law regarding exactly what occurred during the incident. If you are claiming against the responsible party for the fire loss, you need to make certain that you can support your claim and evidence in your report. If you have lost a great deal of property, you may want to consider hiring a lawyer in order to help represent you and make the best of your situation.

Insurance Claims for Fire Damage:

You should always contact your insurance company immediately if you have suffered a fire damage loss because your policy might cover living expenses if your property is damaged. In some cases, there may be an auto-renewal clause in your insurance contract that forces you to pay for coverage until the end of the month in which your insurance policy expires. If this is the case, you need to contact your insurance company and let them know that you want to terminate your policy. You also need to make certain that you get a copy of the police report regarding the incident. If you have suffered a fire damage loss from an auto accident, then your auto insurance policy will cover expenses related to fixing or replacing your vehicle.

To learn more about what damages you can claim after a fire, you can refer to this article from a law firm handling fire damage cases.

Conclusion:

Fires can happen anywhere, so make sure to review your homeowners' insurance policy for coverage and report the incident within a reasonable period of time. In general, you have a duty to take reasonable care under the law not to cause damage to someone else's property by fire if you can prevent it from happening. It is important that you make certain that the policy language gives you clear authority on how much money your insurance company is willing to pay in order to settle a claim.