If you experience a fire at your home or business, years of hard work and a lifetime of memories can vanish in a matter of minutes. While a fire's survivors often feel lucky just to be alive, as the realization of what they have lost sinks in,...they are devastated. All of us trust that our insurance company will be there to help us pick up the pieces of our life, help us rebuild our home or business, help our lives return to normal, and help us rebuild our lives. Isn’t that why we bought the insurance in the first place?
In the event of a fire, one of the first questions an insurer will address is the cause and origin of the fire. Carriers will employ investigators to assist the Fire Marshal in determining the cause of the fire, or to supplement the Fire Marshal's work. If the fire is of questionable origin, or it appears it may have been intentionally set, insurers may request extensive personal, business, financial, or other information from you to assist them in determining potential suspects, or to eliminate you as a potential suspect. Imagine how you would feel if your insurance company accused you of starting the fire yourself, instead of paying your valid claim. Accusing an insured of arson is a tactic sometimes used by insurers to avoid paying valid claims for fire damage to their homes or businesses.
If you suffer from a fire to your home, your policy of insurance likely provides for payment of those additional living expenses you will incur during the adjustment of your claim and during the reasonable time for its repair. Due to changes in the law or building codes since your property was built, it may cost more to repair or rebuild your home or business than anticipated when you purchased the insurance. In those cases, if provided for in the policy, our Florida fire insurance claims attorneys assist our clients in identifying additional coverage for Code Upgrades, and make a claim for these additional damages. For additional damages suffered by businesses see our business interruption coverage and extra expense pages.
Mr. Wells represents clients whose valid fire damage claims have been denied, delayed, or undervalued including smoke damage, electrical fires, home product malfunctions, car fires, and lightning-related damage. We have successfully taken on powerful insurance companies in fire claims.
Unfortunately, just submitting your claim is not always sufficient to have the insurer pay you for your damages. It is frequently necessary to force the insurer to live up to its obligations. In those cases, Mr. Wells initiates appraisal or files an lawsuit and proceeds with litigation to enforce your contract rights. The course we utilize differs from case to case depending upon the facts, amounts in dispute, the terms and conditions of the insurance policy and our individual client’s needs and desires.
After a fire, you have enough to contend with. If your insurance company refuses to pay the full amount of your damages, or if it claims there is no coverage and has paid nothing at all, the Wells Law Group can help maximize your recovery.