TDI (the Texas Department of Insurance) says that:
* If you have insurance, and
* If your losses are covered by your insurance policy,
then you can take the following steps to seek compensation for Texas wildfire damage.
1. Check your home, land and property for damage as soon as you safely can. (Don’t go back until authorities sound the “all clear” – there may be dangers such as hot spots and unsound structures in danger of collapse that you should avoid.)
2. Contact your insurance agent or insurance company right away to report any damage.
3. Make sure you follow up your phone call by filing a written insurance claim.
4. If your policy and policy number were lost in the wildfire, you can call TDI’s consumer help line at 800-252-3439 for contact information for your insurance agent or insurance company. The agent or company should be able to locate your policy number.
5. Make an inventory list of your damaged property.
6. Photograph or videotape the damage.
7. Don’t throw out, tear down or remove damaged property until after your insurance adjuster has seen it.
8. Make necessary temporary repairs to damaged property (like covering broken windows or roof areas). If extra damage or a structural collapse occurs that you could have prevented with reasonable repairs, the insurance adjuster could blame the damage on your negligence.
9. Keep a record of all repair expenses along with your receipts for them.
10. Don’t make any permanent repairs until after your insurance adjuster has seen the damage.
11. Ask your insurance agent if they cover “additional living expenses” (ALE) such as temporary food and housing while your home undergoes repairs.
12. Be there when the insurance adjuster inspects your damaged property.
13. If possible, have your contractor present at the time the insurance adjuster inspects so that the contractor can review the adjuster’s report before you agree to settle the claim.
Even TDI says: “Don’t accept an unfair settlement.” You may feel that the insurance adjuster’s offered settlement of compensation for Texas wildfire damage is way out of line with the actual value of your losses. In that situation, you may need to get the help of a Montgomery County, TX accident attorney to ensure a fair settlement. Your Montgomery County, TX accident attorney should have long experience negotiating with insurance adjusters and insurance companies. That experience could prove crucial in settlement negotiations and be just the thing you need on your side to obtain a fair settlement.
If you have questions, you can give us a call at (877) 307-9500 for a free initial consultation. We’ve dedicated our professional lives as Montgomery County, TX accident attorneys to helping injured victims recover for their losses. We could help you too.