Deerfield Beach Fire Damage Claims Adjuster

When you think about fire damage to a property, you may imagine blackened buildings and charred remains of structures and furniture. That’s undoubtedly an example of fire damage, but there are other, more insidious ways that fire can cause losses.

Even a relatively small fire limited to a single room can produce high amounts of soot, ash, and smoke, which may cause less visible damage. If your building has a sprinkler system, the water that puts out the fire can also damage belongings.

People often assume that the insurance company adjuster will know about these types of damage, and they do. But when they look at a claim and peruse the attached pictures, they may not see any evidence of smoke or water damage.

That doesn’t mean it isn’t there, but the insurance adjuster isn’t going to pay for damage without proof. As a result, they might make you an offer based only on the direct damage they see from the fire—the charred boards and rubble.

To complicate matters, most homeowners, business owners, or renters are not experts on what the different types of damage look like or what they should photograph to prove they have further damage. They may expect the insurance company’s adjuster to accurately assess their damage and make a fair offer.

Unfortunately, this often leads to an undervalued claim offer and residual damage that isn’t addressed.

How Can a Deerfield Beach Smoke Damage Claims Adjuster Help?

By engaging a public claims adjuster, you can get an accurate evaluation of your actual damages with the documentation needed to convince the insurance company.

Your smoke damage claims adjuster is not an employee of the insurance company tasked with reducing payouts. They work for you and will carefully study the scene of the fire, looking for signs of smoke, soot, ash, and water damage.

Additionally, they will examine your appliances, HVAC system, and electrical system, which may also sustain damage in a fire.

How Should You Prepare for a Visit With a Smoke Damage Claims Adjuster?

Here are some tips to make the process easier for both you and the adjuster while preserving evidence of your damages:

• Avoid moving or touching anything at the scene unless it’s absolutely necessary for safety reasons.
• Take your own photos as soon after the fire as you can. We realize you may be busy dealing with other things, but taking a wide variety of pictures can be beneficial to your claim. Since it’s hard for a layperson to know what all the signs of damage look like, taking as many pictures as possible from a variety of angles helps improve the chances you’ll capture evidence of damage.
• Secure the property, boarding up open windows or doors. If you can afford it, hire a professional to help with this process.
• Check with your insurance company to find out if hotel bills and storage fees are covered.
• Save all your receipts for related expenses (hotels, storage, items you have to replace).
• Contact a public fire damage claims adjuster to help you determine the true extent of your damages.

What Else Does a Fire Damage Claims Adjuster Do?

Studying the scene and identifying damage is only the first stage in a successful claim, but at Pinnacle Claim Services, our adjusters will help you every step of the way:

• We begin by thoroughly inspecting the damage and documenting it with photos and other evidence.
• We’ll also review your insurance policy. Our adjusters are not only experts on signs of damage, but they’re also experienced in seeing through the legalese and interpreting insurance contracts. If you have questions about what your policy should cover, we’ll help you find the answers.
• The next step is preparing and filing your claim. We can prepare the claim for you or review it once you’re done, checking to ensure all your damage is appropriately documented.
• Even with excellent evidence of your damage, the insurance company can still make a lowball offer. Frequently, they underestimate the costs of repairs or replacement, or they may recommend a minor repair when a total replacement is needed. Our adjusters can handle the entire negotiation process and fight to get the whole value of your claim approved.
• We won’t charge you anything until you receive payment from the insurance company, so there is no need to worry about upfront costs.

What Can You Expect Your Insurance Policy to Cover for Fire Damage?

The answer can vary depending on the specific insurance contract, and your fire damage claims adjuster will help you understand the details of your policy

In general, insurance companies won’t cover damage caused by owner neglect. In other words, they may reject your claim because they believe your neglect caused the fire.

Many fire insurance policies have safety guidelines they expect policyholders to follow; if there is evidence that you ignored these guidelines, that could be one reason the company rejects your claim. Usually, the guidelines are common-sense fire safety tips, such as:

• Have an appropriate number of smoke alarms and ensure they stay in good working condition—replace batteries as needed, test the alarm regularly, etc.
• Keep a working fire extinguisher in the home. Fire extinguishers are mandated in commercial and residential rental buildings but not in family homes. However, your insurance policy may require you to keep one in your home.
• Ensure flammable materials like clothing or blankets aren’t close to heat sources like space heaters or fireplaces.
• Don’t leave space heaters or lit candles unattended.

What if you followed all the safety guidelines, but you still suffered a home fire? Your public claims adjuster will help you document that you took precautions and show that the fire was simply an unavoidable accident.

For example, they might take pictures of all your smoke alarms or show that there were no obvious fire hazards in the room where the fire started.

What About Renter’s Insurance? Is Fire Damage Covered?

Yes and no. Technically, renter’s insurance policies usually cover fire damage, but only for the items you own inside the rental unit.

Damage to the walls or structure itself is not covered. However, your landlord’s commercial insurance may cover losses like damage to the cabinets, countertops, or walls.

When documenting damage to your belongings, your claims adjuster will carefully examine the scene and ask about which items you own versus which came with the apartment. We can document damage for your landlord’s commercial insurance policy as well as your renter’s insurance.

As with homeowner’s policies, it can be more challenging to find visible signs of smoke, soot, or water damage, but our claims adjusters know what to look for and the best way to demonstrate these types of damage.

How Can You Protect Your Business From Fire Damage Losses?

As a business owner, you may worry about what happens if your business location suffers a fire. In some situations, a small business could face financial ruin if a fire destroyed all its inventory or its only location. There are also other concerns to keep in mind when considering the three types of insurance that may apply to your business:

• Commercial property insurance addresses a variety of situations, including fires, vandalism, burst pipes, storms (other natural disaster may not be covered), and theft. There are typically different options for cost and reimbursement to fit varying budgets.
• General liability insurance is also an important consideration. If there are customers in your store when a fire starts, they could be injured, or their own property could be damaged. For these situations, general liability insurance provides protection from financial losses.
• A business owner’s policy, or BOP, combines commercial property and general liability insurance into one policy, but this option isn’t available for every business. Your insurance agent can tell you if your business qualifies; if not, you may need to buy property and liability insurance as separate policies to be fully covered.

How Can You Get Assistance From a Fire Damage Claims Adjuster in Deerfield Beach?

If you’ve recently suffered a fire in your home, rental property, or commercial property, dealing with the insurance company or worrying that your claim will be rejected can be stressful. At the same time, you may be busy with logistical concerns, such as trying to get back to work or find a place to stay.

The last thing you need is an undervalued claim or a claim denial from your insurance company.

Please contact Pinnacle Claim Services of Deerfield Beach for a free inspection and insurance policy review. We’ll meticulously inspect the scene and document all instances of damage for your claim, then go over the details of what your policy covers, taking the time to answer your questions.

If you want to move forward with our help, we’ll aid you in preparing and submitting your claim and then negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf. So call us today at 954-

All of our claims adjusters are knowledgeable, educated, and highly trained in fire damage inspection. We’re always ready to ensure the insurance company pays the total value of your claim.