Fire damage can be devastating. When a property is impacted by fire, you are faced with the cruel, upsetting loss of both your home and your personal belongings, causing unthinkable upset to both you and your family. This is why insuring your home and its belongings is a given. In the event of a fire, insurance will cover you for the loss you have faced, once they have carried out a thorough investigation process to determine the exact nature, origin and potential causes of the fire. This is to determine whether or not the claim is valid, insufficient or fraudulent. There are several key steps to the investigation process for an insurance company, and here, we take a closer look at the key steps to fire loss investigations:
Claim
After the incident, it’s vital you make your claim as early as possible. Making a claim by contacting your insurance company is the first step in reclaiming your loss. Once the insurance company receives your claim as the policyholder they can begin the investigation process.
Investigate
After the claim is made, your insurance company can begin the investigation process. This will involve determining the cause and origin of the fire, both to further understand potential ignition sources or potential conditions of the property that could have led to an increased risk of flammability.
Interview
A key step in the investigation process is gathering witness interviews, including police officers, firefighters or anyone who may have been on-site during the event of the fire. This will help the insurance company to paint a clearer picture of the scene from several different perspectives.
Evidence
Along with evidence gathered through witness interviews, several photographs will be taken to provide a clearer visual representation of any damage caused. This will provide categorical evidence for your insurance company in the process of your claim.
Inspections
A number of inspections will be carried out at the location of the fire. Any products potentially implicated by the fire will be assessed to determine if the placement, connection to the fuel/electricity supply, or installation of the product has impacted or contributed to the origin or spread of the fire.
Decision
Once all investigations have been carried out, witness statements gathered and evidence taken, a final decision will be made based on their findings to decisively conclude if the claim is accepted, disputed or denied.
Want to make a fire damage claim? We can help you with a surveyor visit within 24 hours. At All Property Claims, we will handle the first crucial meeting with the insurer’s loss adjusters to ensure that the claim proceeds smoothly and covers everything from your contents, alternative accommodation, restoration cleaning, odour removal and of course all building repairs which are needed. Contact us today.