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7 Mistakes To Avoid After Experiencing Fire Damage To Your Property

7 Mistakes To Avoid After Experiencing Fire Damage To Your Property post

Every type of property damage claim has its own set of specific protocols, and making even the smallest deviation can greatly affect your settlement. Fire damage is a special case with crucial considerations to make before putting in an effort toward relief. Make sure you’re avoiding the following mistakes by reading this guide and contacting Altieri Insurance Consultants Tampa for expert fire damage claims services near you:

1. Attempting Self-Clean-Up Right After the Disaster

Just like grabbing some paper towels in response to a recent spill, it might be your natural instinct to start cleaning up the damage after a fire hits your property. No matter what, it is vital to seek professional help before touching anything yourself. Aside from tampering with evidence, you must realize you need the insurance company adjuster to see the damage in its worst condition to advance your claim. Leave everything to the claim experts after a fire.

2. Touching Anything Electrical Before An Inspection

Fire damage can compromise the safety of a property in countless ways, with one of the most dangerous being exposed wiring. Heat and flames can melt wire casings and burn through cables leaving behind a major electrical hazard. While waiting for a professional to make it to the property, it’s imperative to keep the power shut off. Turning it back on is one of the most dangerous things you can do, sometimes leading to yet another fire. Someone who knows insurance industry adjusting will know if the property is safe for re-entry after a fire.

3. Neglecting to Document Everything (And We Mean Everything)

Proper photos, footage, and documentation can be the deciding factor on whether or not you get reimbursement from your insurer for fire damage. This is why valuables should be properly assessed and appraised to prove their true worth so they can be included in your claim. Also, waiting too long to acquire evidence can render the proof invalid and lead to either a poor settlement or a denied claim. For this task, it’s still better to hire an expert. Someone who knows the claims industry will know how to preserve evidence, what to take photos of, and how to categorize damaged property to organize your documentation.

4. Throwing Away Burnt Or Damaged Items

Even after taking valid photos, throwing out items that were damaged in the fire before getting paid for them by your insurer can make you lose out on reimbursement. This includes premature disposal of remnants burnt beyond recognition. They should remain in place for inspection until the claim concludes.

5. Exposing Yourself to Smoke While Gathering Evidence

Did you know there are significant airborne particulates and contaminants left in the air inside a building that sustained a fire? Breathing these contaminants will not be good for anyone’s health. It’s better not to risk it, so make sure to think twice before re-entering your property after a fire. There’s much that goes into mitigating health risks like face masks, eyewear, gloves, and so on. If you’re still worried about the risk of inhaling smoke, don’t push yourself. Stay back and let the experts take care of everything!

6. Not Accounting For Subsequent Water Damage

You wouldn’t think to worry about dealing with water damage after a fire, but property owners often forget about the water that is used to put out the flames. After the fire is extinguished, you could be facing water damage which will generate mold growth, further complicating the extent of damage and health concerns.

7. Waiting Too Long to Start a Claim

It’s never a good idea to procrastinate filing any type of property damage claim, especially when it comes to fire damage. Smoke and soot can cause damage over time, and the longer you wait, the less likely it will be for your insurer to work in your favor. Be sure to contact a public adjuster as soon as possible in response to fire damage for the best outcome.

Have You Experienced Fire Damage to Your Property? Allow the professionals to begin your recovery immediately. Call Altieri Insurance Consultants Right Away!

Altieri Insurance Consultants Tampa is here to help you receive the correct amount for your fire damage claim. Schedule a consultation today to receive what you are owed so you can start rebuilding from the ground up. We’re the partner property owners rely on!

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