Fire Damage Public Adjusters in West Palm Beach
The city of West Palm Beach in Florida has been consistently rated as the best place to retire in the US according to an article from West Palm Beachnews.com. Using factors such as tax-friendliness, medical care and social life, the city has grown to be one of the popular choices among Americans looking for a place to enjoy their savings and spend their time altogether. Probably correlated to this, the city is also known to be one of the wealthiest in the country. This does not mean however that they also have the immunity against natural disasters. West Palm Beach is located in Florida, which is considered to be the lightning capital of the United States. This puts individuals living in the area under threats of fatalities from electrical storms and their properties from fires caused by lightning strikes. This is of course aside the usual causes which include faulty cooking and heating systems, intentional setting of properties on fire or neglected lit cigarettes after smoking. In 2019, it is said that there were between 60-100 reported house fires and almost 23,000 fire calls. Costs of damages and repairs after a house fire can be immense. Typical costs can range from two thousand up to thirty thousand dollars.
What to Do After a House Fire?
Dealing with the aftermath of a fire can be best done by calling a smoke and a fire restoration company. These professionals could help in assessing the extent of damages that fire has caused to you and your home. The damages can include properties damaged by smoke. Smoke can cause harmful effects to your vision and respiratory health. It is thus important to remove and deodorize the area affected including textiles, drapes and other cloth covered materials in your home. Another cost to include is the amount of water that was used in putting out the fire, plus handling the possible damages it would cause to the remaining usable furniture, carpets and even personal items. These properties should be addressed and dried quickly so that it can avoid prolonged water exposure which would rot away some of its part or attract the growth of mildew and mold. The removal of soot should also be addressed as letting it out there could mean longer removal period and more damages. Once these damages have been assessed, the company could then provide you with the estimates of the needed costs for recovery that you can file with your insurance company.
Who To Deal With When Filing the Claims?
There are persons to deal with once you decide to file claims with your insurance companies. These are the insurance adjusters who review the facts of your case and determine an appropriate claim settlement under the terms of your policy. They could be a company adjuster, an independent adjuster and a public adjuster. Company adjusters are the representatives of your insurance company. They work for your insurer, and although they may be approachable and friendly, remember that they would offer you the settlement amount that their companies are willing to pay, which might not be in your favor. On the other hand, independent adjusters are third party providers who are hired by insurance companies to assess claims on their behalf. Insurance companies do not have a large amount of manpower handling claims on a regular basis, but a natural disaster such a hurricane, could spike up the supply of claims which also rises the demand for independent adjusters. This type of adjusters should be licensed in the state where they are practicing and could at times, provide greater objectivity and perceived fairness to those who are filing a claim. The last are the public adjusters who are hired by the policyholders themselves to negotiate with the insurance companies on their behalf. They are also paid a commission from the recovery, which means that they only get paid once your claims have been settled. This makes them work in your best interest since winning a good settlement could give them a 10-20% cut depending on the agreed contract. If by a stroke of misfortune that your house gets caught in fire and you’re looking for Fire Damage Public Adjusters in West Palm Beach, Florida, knowing the differences between the three is the first best step that you could take.
Contact ProFloridian Public Adjusters either by phone at (954) 588-7416 or use our form for more information!
