How To Report Your Wildfire Loss to Your Insurer

One of the tradeoffs of living in a great city like Reno is the occasional threat from wildfires. It only takes one spark in the dry desert environment to start a destructive blaze. Homeowners can take many protective measures to keep their property from being destroyed in a wildfire, including using goats to clear brush. That’s what the folks over at Evens Creek recently did.

As reported, the goats ate their way across the hilly terrain surrounding the houses there to minimize the risk of that brush going up in flames.

Sadly, even with the best preventive measures, fires can still break through. What happens if your home is caught in a wildfire and suffers damage? The following are the steps to take to report your wildfire loss to your insurer.

Immediate Steps Within the First 24-48 Hours

Step 1: Notify Insurer

It is important to get the claims process started by calling your insurance agent or company ASAP. Not only will this document the start of your claim, but it is also required by your policy. You will not have to file your claim or report specific damages yet. You just want to put them on notice that you’ve been impacted. That will trigger an insurance adjuster being assigned to your claim, which can help expedite the process.

Step 2: Document Damage

You need to take extensive photos and videos of all the damage to your property. This should be done before any clearing begins.

Step 3: Secure Property

Depending on the extent of your damage, you might have to secure your property by boarding up windows or doors. You want to prevent theft or further damage. Be sure to save your receipts for any materials you purchase, as you can add them to your claim.

Step 4: Protect Belongings

If you have to temporarily move from your home, be sure to remove any valuable, undamaged personal property.

How to File Your Claim

When filing your claim, gather essential information first. That starts with your policy number and a preliminary inventory of all damaged or destroyed items. Once you have this information organized, contact your insurance agent or insurance company to file an official claim. You can typically file over the phone, through an online portal, or via a mobile app.

One of the most critical aspects of filing a wildfire insurance claim is to submit a formal “proof of loss.” This will be a detailed, itemized list of each damaged item, along with its estimated value.

Once your claim is opened, your insurer will assign an adjuster to inspect the property and assess the extent of the damage. It is important to remember that the adjuster works for the insurer. While their evaluation plays an important role, you are not required to accept their estimate if you believe it is inaccurate or incomplete. This is where your claim could become complicated.

How to Handle Disputes

It is vital to understand the specifics of your policy, especially whether your coverage is based on Replacement Cost Value (RCV) or Actual Cash Value (ACV). Depending on which type of policy you have, this can directly affect the amount you may recover.

At some point, there might be an issue with a delayed or underpaid insurance claim that requires the intervention of a skilled attorney like you’ll find with the Law Offices of Matthew L. Sharp.

You have the right to be proactive and dispute the insurance company’s findings with the support of an attorney and appropriate documentation. You and your attorney might tap into the resources available from the Nevada Department of Insurance. This is the state agency that can verify the licensing status of public adjusters.

If you think that your insurance company is acting in bad faith, we want to hear from you. We’ve helped many clients hold insurance companies accountable and negotiate fair compensation for the maximum amount their policies allow. You’ve invested in insurance to protect your property.

Call or contact us online to set up a free case review today.