Dealing with a Fire Claim: The Role of Public Adjusting

Whether it’s big or small, encountering a house fire is a terrifying and emotionally upsetting experience. First, there’s the actual fire and ensuring everyone’s safety. Then, there’s the process of dealing with an insurance company. While fire insurance coverage should be straightforward, it’s often quite complicated and can be very stressful.

Insurance agencies often use various tactics to skew the Fire Claim Calculation in their favor.

You pay for insurance “in case” something happens. You expect the insurance agency to support you in your time of grief after a fire. However, an increasing number of policyholders find themselves battling with their insurance agency. What should be a supportive time turns into a stressful ordeal.

The adjuster might start with statements like, “No issues– this is covered in your policy,” or, “I’m here to protect you.” Another common remark is, “Simply send us an estimate from a contractor and we’ll pay it.” When you already have a contractor, they might respond with, “We have a contractor who will do it for less.”

The purpose of such an Average Clause is to limit the liability of the Insurance Company. Both the insurer and insured then share the loss concerning the covered and uncovered total. This way, under-insurance provides relief to the insurance provider and penalizes the insured for under-insurance.