How to handle fire-related damage claims
as posted at www.nctimes.com
by BRADLEY J. FIKES
October 26, 2007
NORTH COUNTY ---- Call your insurance company immediately. Protect your property from further damage if it's safe to do so. Document everything.
These are some of the pointers offered by insurance experts to those whose homes have been damaged in this week's wildfires, which officials say may have become even more devastating than the 2003 Cedar and Paradise fires.
It may not even be necessary to call for help. Claims adjusters have already arrived at evacuation centers.
The Automobile Club of Southern California has claims adjusters at Qualcomm Stadium and Mission Hills High School in San Marcos, said spokesman Jeff Spring.
"Apparently Del Mar Racetrack was so full they were even turning us away," Spring said.
Signs will point out the claims adjusters' locations, Spring said.
Depending upon their policy, persons with claims may be entitled to money to get lodgings, Spring said.
"If they need money to get to a hotel, we can have them cut checks pretty much on the spot," Spring said.
People who have suffered total losses especially will be in need of a temporary residence, because they're not going to want to remain indefinitely at an evacuation center, said Karen Reimus, who lost her home in Scripps Ranch in the Cedar Fire and became an involuntary expert on dealing with insurance claims.
"They need to get those benefits, which are called ALEs, Additional Living Expenses, under most policies," said Reimus, interviewed Monday afternoon just after she had evacuated again from Scripps Ranch. "Let's face it, most people are not in a position to plunk down $1,000 on their credit card."
Reimus advises those who think they will have a partial or total loss to "get the process moving" immediately. That means not only contacting the insurance company, but making sure you've got a copy of the policy.
If you don't have the policy, ask the insurance company to deliver it to you, electronically if possible, Reimus said.
"Another piece of advice ---- and it's hard to follow because you're overwhelmed when you've suffered a total loss ---- but literally, write down every single person you talk to at that insurance company. Get their names, try to get a telephone number," she said.
"And when you're on the phone with the company, if they assign you an adjuster, I would not only get their office number, get that person's cell phone number. Questions are going to come up very quickly and you're going to be able to need to reach that adjuster. So get every telephone number that adjuster will offer."
Reimus recommended people confused about what their policy offers read the advice offered by the nonprofit consumer group United Policyholders, at http://www.unitedpolicyholders.org.
"They have an insurance glossary on their Web site, because a lot of that stuff is unintelligible," said Reimus, who does volunteer work for the group.
California Insurance Commission Steve Poizner lists a number of tips for policyholders on his Web site. These include taking photographs of the damage, and attempting to protect the property from further damage if it is "prudent" to do so.
"Ask questions if you do not understand your adjuster's instructions," Poizner's site advises. "From the beginning, keep a log of the names of the people you speak with along with dates, times, and a summary of the pertinent points of each conversation."
Poizner also cautions policyholders not to begin repairs until getting instructions from the adjuster, and to retain damaged property until the adjuster says it's all right to throw it away.
