Document a Spokane fire loss one room at a time once authorities release the property: wide shots from each corner, then each wall, ceiling and floor, then close-ups of the damage and a narrated video walkthrough. Include closets, the attic, HVAC vents, the garage and all four exterior sides, keep […]
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Water and Smoke Damage After a Fire in Spokane
When a fire is finally out, the natural assumption is that the damage stopped with it. In practice, two of the most expensive parts of a fire loss are still developing: the water used to extinguish the fire, and the smoke that travelled through the structure while it burned. These […]
Fire Damage Insurance Claims in Spokane: What Homeowners Need to Know
After a fire in Spokane, report the loss promptly, ask about additional living expenses and photograph everything before cleanup, because the carrier’s scope becomes the estimate and the offer unless someone challenges it. The most common underpayments are smoke scoped as a cleaning job, depreciation that is never recovered, unused […]
8 Steps You Can Take To Maximize Your Insurance Claim
To maximize an insurance claim, get a damage estimate from a reputable contractor, gather receipts, photos and reports, file promptly, keep copies of all correspondence and do not accept the first offer without negotiating. Get any agreement in writing and read the fine print before you sign, or hire a […]
California fires won’t raise insurance rates in 2018
California’s large 2017 fire losses were not expected to bring dramatic insurance rate hikes in 2018, because Proposition 103, approved by voters in 1988, requires the state insurance regulator’s prior approval for property and casualty rates. Insurers cannot load one year’s catastrophe losses into the next year’s rates; a catastrophe […]
California Approves Public Adjuster Reform Bill
California Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill that establishes fair practices standards for public insurance adjusters and enhances consumer protections. Senate Bill 488, authored by state Sen. Marty Block, D-San Diego, and sponsored by Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, was signed into law on Thursday. After filing a claim, homeowners […]