Michigan Insurance Claims – Public Adjusters and Loss Consultants

For business owners, dealing with any fire, flooding, storm damage or vandalism, it’s usually a real nightmare.  Even a week or two out of the market can have a huge negative impact and cause serious business loss.  A quick restoration and reimbursement for the business losses suffered may be essential to the business’ very survival.

In the insurance claim process, the burden of proof falls on the business owner. The documentation he/she submits is used in determining the final settlement.  Thus, comprehensive appraisal of all commercial property losses and of business activity losses, proper claim documentation and timely submission are all important factors that determine how successful and expedient the claim will be.

Based on our long experience with commercial insurance claims, we do not recommend that any business owner does it on their own.  Not just that the stakes are too high to take a chance on, but in the vast majority of cases, even after the percentage the adjuster company gets for their work, the business owner still gets a significantly higher settlement.

Hiring an adjuster company to help with a commercial loss insurance claim does, in the end, pay off, for more than one reason:

• commercial loss appraisers have the knowledge to accurately estimate commercial property losses and substantiate them to the insurance company
• professional adjusters are able to estimate and document the business activity loss accurately
• a review of your insurance policy by someone on your side will assure nothing is overlooked and you are getting everything you are entitled to
• it will free up your time and resources
• adjuster companies (reputable ones, anyway) have established relationships with the insurance companies; insurers know the claims submitted by adjusters are accurate and complete and get challenged and delays a lot less often
• it will expedite your claim process and therefore, your recovery!

DISCLAIMER: not all adjuster companies are created equal. Before hiring someone, please do your due diligence.  Just like in any other business, experience matters, a lot. How do we fare? We’re seriously good at what we do, and have the record to show it…

Tags: Claim Help, commercial insurance claims

Two thirds of home fires start, in one way or another, in the kitchen. As you may safely guess, most of them are directly related to unattended cooking, with ignition of food and cooking equipment as the leading cause of home fires and personal injuries. We’ve all been warned of the dangers of fires from cooking and kitchen appliances like hotplates or grills, and hopefully take the necessary precautions…

But here’s one particular kitchen appliance you probably didn’t consider particularly risky when it comes to house fires: the dishwasher. When we push the “wash” button as we go to bed at night or leave for work, we don’t think that a fire hazard.

The dishwasher has a good reputation of safely and thoroughly washing our dishes; besides, it operates with water, so fire doesn’t easily come to mind.

However, recent reports from consumers and fire investigators brought this subject into the public eye: dishwashers are responsible for many home fires. In 2011, over 260 complaints rega
The complaints were not related to a single brand. Fires occurred with several major dishwasher brands, and many caused serious fire damage. Dishwasher fires start mainly as a result of overheated wires (the result of faulty design), an issue that’s hard to notice and hard to prevent.rding safety issues of dishwashers, dishwasher incidents and home fires started by dishwashers were reported on www.saferproducts.gov, a public website managed by the government. It’s safe to assume that the actual number is much higher, so in reality, we may be talking of thousands of such incidents in the past couple of years.

While giving up the convenience of our dishwashers is not somethings most of us would consider, there are things you can do to prevent dishwasher fires and assure the safety of your family and home:

• Check on the particular brand of your dishwasher, to see if it had safety recalls. In the past couple of years, many major brands were investigated by federal safety regulators, with products found potentially hazardous, leading to class action lawsuits against dishwasher manufacturers.
• Before buying a new dishwasher, also research if the particular brand/model had fire incidents associated with it.
• Verify your electrical wiring, and make sure your kitchen appliances are not overloading the circuit.
• Try to use your dishwasher only when you are at home.
• If you smell anything strange coming from the dishwasher (smoke, burnt wires) unplug the dishwasher immediately and call for professional assistance.
• Have a working fire alarm, as they dramatically increase your chances of surviving the fire.

Michigan Fire Claims, Inc., a public adjuster company and consumer advocate in the insurance claim process.

by Michigan Fire Claims Inc., a Public Adjuster Company, Rochester Hills, MI

Improperly stored flammable substances are at the origin of many devastating home fires, and should be store and handled with the greatest care. Too often we see people’s homes and lives destroyed by fires originating from the gas cans, propane canisters and other containers with flammable substances.

If you’re like most of us here in Michigan, chances are, you have at least one gas can in your garage that you use periodically to fill up your lawnmower, chainsaw, ATV, or for when the nth time this year, your teenager got stranded on the road since he forgot to fill up. You may also have propane tanks for your grill, paint thinners from your remodeling projects, and a variety of flammable solvents.

While they may not look particularly dangerous at first sight, all of the above can start a destructive fire in seconds.

As Ben Franklin once man said, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. We believe, when it comes to fires, an once of prevention is worth a ton of cure. It doesn’t take much to keep your home and family safe. Here are some tips on safely storing your flammables:

• Store gas and propane only in containers specially designed for this purpose. Make sure the containers are in a good shape, without cracks, rust spots or holes.
• Close caps tightly and store away from direct sun, heat sources and electrical wiring.
• If you can smell gas, propane or solvents in your garage or home, it means that the containers are not properly closed and the substance is evaporating. Do not ignore it if you can’t immediately locate the source of the smell;
• If you have a car or other gas powered vehicle in your garage that you are using only rarely, don’t fill up the tank. Leave the tank nearly empty and fill it only when you take it for a ride.
• Always keep a fire extinguisher in your home, and make sure it’s functional and ready to go – the gauge on its side should be green. Check it periodically.
• Check your smoke alarm batteries, especially in colder places, such as the garage or the basement. Batteries tend to last less in such places. Check your batteries every two or three months to make sure they are still working.
• If you have elder parents, relatives, and friends, remember their olfactory senses may not be as acute anymore. Look out for them too!

Take care, and stay safe!

Tags: Fire, Fire Claims, Public adjuster

More often than you think, policy owners get the second round of bad news (after the actual disaster…) when the insurance company presents their settlement offer. In many cases we worked on, the settlement offers were sometimes up to 70% less than the actual rebuilding costs.

How is this possible? It happens mainly because about 9 out of 10 property losses evaluated by insurance adjusters are estimated less than their fair value, to varying degrees.

Not intentionally, necessarily. The insurance adjusters may be working hard to be fair and comprehensive, but they have time and resource limitation for each case. That may translate into measuring inaccuracies, missed damage, incorrect recording of the type of construction materials, etc. Small errors add up quickly, and the the impact on the settlement could be significant.

Also, if we are entirely candid, we must acknowledge that it’s not in the best interest of their employers that insurance adjusters are that thorough..

So what’s the cure for the blues? Michigan Fire Claims Inc. or 1.248.340.1900

There’s no one better to appraise your “actual” damage, negotiate with the insurance company and work harder for you, than the adjusters from Michigan Fire Claims Inc.

We make it our mission, after what you’ve been through, to get you some much needed good news when the settlement offer comes through!

Tags: adjusters, Appraising, Claim Help, Michigan Fire Claims, Public adjuster

Most fires are caused by some sort of human error; therefore, negligence is easily implied.  One could have better supervised the kitchen, the candles, the stove, fix those electric outlets, etc.  The fact is, in most cases, the homeowner bear some responsibility.  Can the property loss claim be denied on grounds of negligence?

Not usually.   Unless the policy owners purposely set the fire (in which case is classified as arson), the fire loss is covered by the homeowner policy.  That is why you have the policy in the first place, for “accidental” losses.  In the majority of the cases, the cause of the fire is hard to determine, and the policy owners may not have a clue either.

However, as fires cause extensive property damage, from flames, smoke, and the water used to control it, fire restoration costs are particularly high. Therefore, the insurance company may send an “cause and origin” investigator and go to great lengths to determine the actual cause of the fire.  They may ask a lot of questions, ask for a sworn statement, even a lie detector test.

What information should you relate to the fire investigators?  Will what you say affect your chances for a successful fire claim?  Should you make an independent determination of the cause of the fire?  How should you prepare for the examination under oath?

In an ideal world, honesty is the best policy.  In one where companies are trying to save every penny and will assume the worse of you, it may not be.

Having an expert team on your side, to guide and advocate for you through the claim process is the best advice we can give you…

Michigan Fire Claims, Inc.

Tags: Fire Claims, Fire Help, fire insurance claims, fire loss, fire restoration, michigan, Public adjuster

When it comes to preparing for the colder weather, there is one thing you simply can’t neglect – to have your furnace checked for safety.

This relatively simple and generally inexpensive task will prevent unwanted complications, even tragedy.  Not just it’s not fun when your furnace stops working and it’s freezing outside, but, most importantly, servicing your heating system will make your home and family safer, decreasing the chance of serious accidents.

During the cold season, improperly maintained or operating heating systems and appliances are responsible for the majority of fires, explosions and human loss.  As most residential heating systems in Michigan are gas burning furnaces, the risk of fire and explosions is particularly high.

The gas pipeline that goes to the furnace needs to be checked for leakages – as it poses a serious explosion risk. Methane gas accumulates in closed spaces such as basements and ignites and blows from any small spark. It takes as little as switching on the light for the accumulated methane to blow up, destroy your home, and your life.  

During the safety check procedure, the HVAC technician you hire will perform a series of tests and procedures meant to reveal and fix any furnace problems that may prevent it from functioning properly or increase the chances of fires and accidents:

• check for debris in the chimney and flue;
• cleaning of air filters;
• checking gas pilot safety;
• cleaning burners for proper combustion;
• cleaning the fan;
• checking and adjusting the condition and tension of fan belt;
• checking blower operation.

Also, proper maintenance of your heating system will keep it operating efficiently over the years, making it a good deal even for the budget conscious consumer.   

So don’t delay! Make sure the furnace check is performed by a reliable, authorized heating company, not just for your safety, but also, in case of an accident – fire, explosion, etc., you will need to prove to your insurance company that you performed required maintenance on your heating system, or your claim may be denied (save all records of the work performed).

 
Be safe!
Nik Kalaj
Michigan Fire Claims Inc, A Public Adjuster Company

Tags: fire claim, fire loss, fire safety

Even a small fire can create big odor issues that are very difficult and expensive to get rid of.   Slowly burning furniture or carpets release a thick, black smoke, containing hundreds of toxic compounds that will cover all exposed surfaces in your house, and enter through crevices in between walls and attic and basement spaces.  Your walls, floors, furniture, window treatments will be covered with a black, smelly, acidic mass, which, if not promptly or properly removed,  will damage them further, affect your health and leave a lingering odor.

Fire restoration is a complex, delicate process, and there are several steps for transforming a house damaged by fire into a smoke and soot free environment.  Once the fire was put out, the first thing you need to do is ensure proper ventilation inside the house. ( Don’t use wet sponges or wash any surfaces, as that may make the damage worse). Of course, you should contact your insurance company and report the fire, as restoration costs may be higher than you think.

By contacting a fire adjuster company like Michigan Fire Claims, first you get your damage assessed by trained, independent appraisers that will accurately estimate cleaning and fire restoration costs.  Having your own experts estimate the fire damage and the fire restoration costs will assure your appraisal is accurate, so you don’t have to rely on estimates from appraisers that are hired by, work for and serve interests of the insurance company.

We’ll be on your side!

Nik Kalaj,
Michigan Fire Claims Inc., Independent Adjusters & Appraisers

Tags: Fire Claims, fire loss, fire restoration

So you had a small kitchen fire, that you were able to put out without much structural damage.  While your house smells like the Inferno, you console yourself with the fact that things were not worse.  Cleaning should be easy you think.  You’ll replace the kitchen cabinet above the stove, air the house out, refresh the paint, and life we’ll be back to normal.  As your deductible is high, and the last thing you need is a rate increase on your homeowner policy, you decide to not even call your insurance company.

After a week of toil and trouble, things look up.  For the next months, anyone waking through the door, acts like your Schnauzer when the meatloaf is in the oven – sniffing the air, questions marks in their eyes.  At work, people inquire if you’ve been taking up smoking, or you’re just  grillin’ every day.

At Christmas, when your in-laws visit, they ask if they have to eat whatever you’ve been cooking (or burning..).  At this point, you possibly had enough.

So together with your Schnauzer, you put your olfactory detective skills to use, to uncover just where those pesky smells are hiding.

Carpets, rugs, sofas, curtains, clothes, they are all culprits. Even after washing, airing, deodorizing.  You may need to get new ones!  And repaint. Geez, who knows how much this will cost.

What to do??  And how about the insurance company, how can you document the damage now?

Eureka!!   You can call Michigan Fire Claims! They’ll have answers for you! And appraisers, and adjusters. And they’ve help hundreds before (here’s proof!).  Plus, they are really nice.

Yeah, I know you wish you’d thought of them before!

Nik Kalaj
President & Owner
Michigan Fire Claims, Public Adjusting Company

Tags: Fire Claims, fire loss, kitchen fire michigan, smoke damage

No, not looking for obscure reasons to brag or celebrate  (although I don’t usually object to the later )

Just that, painfully aware of the time and effort we put into a single case, working twelve hundred of them, suddenly seems like a milestone more than worth mentioning. One where we should stop and enjoy the moment, and also reflect on our 8 years existence, with gratitude to everyone who helped make our success possible.

Here’s the press release about our milestone, read it, pass it on. We appreciate it!

Press Release – Michigan Fire Claims – Yahoo News

Cheers,

Nik Kalaj, President and Founder

Michigan Fire Claims Inc., Public Adjusting Company

Tags: Michigan Fire Claims

Over the past weeks,  Michigan’s wettest spring since the ’50s has unleashed major flooding in many areas, including Dearborn, Livonia, Southfield, Troy, Farmington, Detroit, Ann Arbor, Flint, Monroe, and Saginaw. Intense rainfall, damaging winds, large hail and powerful thunderstorms have left many without power and with severe property damages.

While we received reports of fallen trees, wind damage and roof damage, the most significant damages occurred because of flooding, especially basement flooding. Many homeowners found their sump pumps not being able to keep up or not working adequately to keep the water out.

Unfortunately, many homeowners insurance policies exclude water damages from backed up sewers or drains and sump pumps overflows. As flood cleanup and restoration costs are usually significant, paying out of pocket is not a great way to start the summer.

There are two main things all homeowners should consider to proactively minimize the devastating effects of a flood and to avoid potential financial ruin:

1. Carrying the right type of insurance

Even if your home is not situated in a flood prone area, torrential rain could easily flood your home and basement. It is therefore imperative to understand your policy and add coverage from water damage, if it’s presently excluded.  You have to understand, however, that water damage coverage is not flood insurance. If you live in areas prone to flooding from bodies of water, you may also consider purchasing flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program.  Contact your insurance agent for more information.

2. Having the right equipment to deal with flood waters

As basements are usually kept dry by a sump pump system, proper maintenance and regular check ups are really important (contact your plumber!).  If your sump pump is not gravity-driven, it requires electricity to run.  As power outages are common during storms, when you need your pump sump working, make sure you have back up power for it (generator, batteries) in the event of an outage.  Even if your basement is properly outfitted with the right equipment to keep storm waters out, it is still a good idea not to store any valuables where they can get damaged.

We wish everyone going through difficult times because of recent flooding the best of luck!  Also, remember, as the premier public adjuster company in Michigan, we are here to answer any questions you might have about water damage insurance claims and to provide property loss consulting for homeowners and businesses throughout Michigan.

Finally, Happy Memorial Day form everyone at Michigan Fire Claims.

Tags: Claim Help, michigan, Public adjuster, Water Claims, water damage, Water Loss