Are you affected by Wild Fires in Southern California?
In California, wildfires cause substantial property damage due to drought conditions that continue to dry out forest land.
What many homeowners who are affected by wildfires don’t know is that they may be entitled to available coverage for damages to their homes and personal property.
That’s why it’s important for California homeowners who live in high risk areas to obtain as much insurance coverage for protection against wildfires.
Besides property damage that results from the fire itself; short and long term health risks from smoke, soot and ash can occur if the home and property are not properly cleaned. It’s critical to review your insurance policy carefully and make sure you’re adequately protected.
What does my homeowner’s policy cover?
All homeowners insurance policies cover damages to your home caused by wildfires. Whether your home is entirely destroyed or there’s ash smoke damage, you should be compensated by your insurance company. The average homeowner’s policy covers damages due to fires and in the event of your home being destroyed, your insurance company will pay to have your home rebuilt.
When a home is not entirely destroyed by fire damage, this is called “partial losses.” It’s important to know that most insurance policies cover soot and ash damages caused by fires.
How do I know if there is smoke damage to my home?
Even if there is no visible damage to your home, your home may still be infected with smoke, soot and ash. These particles get into your ventilation system and continue to circulate until it’s professional cleaned by a professional home restoration company. Your home should also be assessed for extreme heat and other areas that you may not think to evaluate. That’s why it’s important to have it thoroughly inspected by a qualified and experienced professional fire assessor.
So, who pays for the thorough inspection and fix?
You pay your insurance company without question for your home owner’s insurance because it’s mandatory to have in the state of California. However, insurance companies will goto the end of Earth in order to not pay you what you justly deserve.
Central Law Firm knows ALL the insurance tactics and how to overcome them. The mere fact that our attorney has several experience dealing with insurance companies and specifically homeowners insurance policies, puts the the insurance companies on notice that their dealing with someone they cannot take advantage of.
The insurance company will send their adjustor to either deny or give you a lowball offer if you go with a non-attorney, because the insurance company knows that they are free from the threat of litigation. Whereas, when you hire an attorney, the attorney has a legal duty to zealously advocate for you and Central Law Firm wants to be your advocate.
Does my policy cover home inventory?
It’s important to keep a good record of inventory with photos, receipts, videos, and any other forms of documentation to make tracking inventory as easy as possible. A copy of this should be on the cloud or a safe or anywhere else outside of your home.
Will my insurance company pay the extra expense of living elsewhere?
Where justified your insurance company will pay a moderate cost to maintain your household until your home is repaired.
