Three Situations When You Need To Consult With An Attorney About A Fire Insurance Claim
Posted on: 28 February 2017
If you are having problems with your fire insurance claim, it may be time to speak to an attorney. There are lawyers who have a lot of experience dealing with fire insurance claims on a homeowner's policy. The following are a few situations when you need to consider calling an attorney.
Your claim is delayed
Although a fire insurance claim may take longer than you anticipated, at some point it may seem the delay is much longer than it should be. You keep getting answers as to why there is a delay, but the answers seem to change depending upon who you are speaking to. There is no reason to keep talking to the insurance company if nothing is happening. By consulting with an attorney who has experience in this area, he or she will likely be able to tell you what an average time for a claim to be processed is given your particular circumstances. If you hire an attorney for assistance, often a call from your lawyer will create a much different response from your insurance company.
The estimates are much too low
Sometimes, the amount of money that your insurance company is willing to pay is much lower than you expected. There can be many reasons for this. Sometimes, the numbers that are being used for labor and raw material are based upon old information and do not reflect current market conditions. Some insurance companies may be using numbers that are national averages, but in your area the amount needed for raw materials and labor are much higher. Whatever the case may be, you need someone to negotiate on your behalf, and there is no better person to do this than a lawyer who is working solely in your interest.
You have been denied your claim
There are many causes of a fire, and when an insurance company goes to process your claim, they will look over any information provided by the fire department, and compare it to your insurance policy. Insurance companies will only pay a claim if they have to, so if they find a reason to deny the claim, they are likely to do it. It could be something as simple as having a local handyman do an electrical repair, and it is the area of the house that was the source of the fire. Your policy may stipulate that these types of repairs be done solely by licensed electricians, so your claim is denied. Do not waste time arguing with an insurance company. Speak to an attorney with the experience to know how to proceed after your claim is denied.
Although many homeowners have few problems with an insurance claim after a fire, it is not an uncommon for the three situations above to happen. You should not hesitate to contact an attorney, such as those at Barry Hasten Attorney at Law, for assistance.
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