Fire Insurance Claims Process

Posted February 13, 2016

In the aftermath of a fire to your home, one of the first things you will have to do is deal with your insurance company. Understanding the claims process will help you know what to do when you are faced with the difficult process of rebuilding your life after a fire. The claims process will begin as soon as you contact your insurance adjuster and notify them there has been a loss, and will not end until the claim is closed.

Know Your Policy

Before you contact your adjuster, it will be helpful to understand the kind of policy you have. It’s important to know what type of coverage you have, how much it covers, what is covered or excluded, and what kind of deadlines you have to file your claims. This will be included in the declarations page of your insurance policy. It is likely you may not be able to locate this after a fire, but you can contact your insurance agent and get a copy of this.

Contact Your Adjuster And File Your Claim

Once you are familiar with your policy, you will want to contact your adjuster and file your claim. This should be done right away, the sooner you start the process; the sooner your claim will be processed. Your insurance company will want documentation on your loss such as: a statement of what happened and the damage that was caused, a list of damaged items and the cost, possibly pictures or documentation of the loss, the police report, and any injuries at the time of the loss. Remember to be very detailed in this process, you will not be reimbursed for things not documented.

Now the process is in the hands of the adjuster, they will process your claim usually within 30 days. If you disagree with their findings you must contact them immediately to discuss and resolve your differences. Once you’re in agreement the payment process can begin, as long as there is no suspected fraud.

Contact A Legal Representative

May times the insurance companies will drag their feet in the process, or deny your claim based on insignificant things such as forms not being filled out properly. This can cause you major financial and emotional harm. It’s important to know you can hire an Oklahoma insurance attorney to help you through this process. You do not have to handle this on your own. If you feel that you need the assistance of an experienced insurance attorney to help you with your claim, we want to help. Feel free to schedule a free consultation online or call The Bennett Law Firm at 405.272.0303 to discuss your legal options. We will meet with you face to face and can handle cases anywhere in Oklahoma. We can even come to you!