Michigan Insurance Claims – Public Adjusters and Loss Consultants

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

For too many Michigan families, the holiday season brings not just the usual joys and happy family times, but also an increased risk of fires.

While no one likes to think of fires other than the one in the fireplace, believe us, it happens; we see it every day. Loosing all you’ve got in a fire is not an easy thing for anyone, but eventually life goes on and thing get better. You buy new things, re-build your house, etc. However, while material things will be replaced, a life cannot!

So, please, as you start baking, decorating, lighting the candles, etc., don’t forget to take the necessary precautions to help protect your family and property. Here’s a video from the US Fire Administration and NIST showing it takes less than a minute for the Christmas tree to catch on fire and engulf the living room. Don’t let it happen to you!

If you have small children in your family, take the time to talk to them again about fire safety and the fire evacuation plan. If the unthinkable happens, having rehearsed these, will dramatically decrease their chance of fire related injuries.

From everyone here at Michigan Fire Claims Inc., we wish everyone a safe and joyous holiday season!

Tags: Fire, Fire Claims, Fire Help, fire insurance claims, holiday, Michigan Fire Claims, smoke, smoke claims

Thanksgiving is a time for family and celebration. Unfortunatly, several families in Flint, Saginaw and Detroit had left turkeys in the oven a little too long and the results were lots of smoke damage but no homes were lost.  It is important to keep an eye on what is happening in the kitchen.  There are many outdated stoves that are not use to high heat for extended periods and if and when turkeys catch fire the results can be worse than an actual kitchen catching on fire.  Turkey and other meats and there oils burn and release proteins in the air.  Protein fires permeate everything and is difficult to treat and clean.  We at Michigan Fire Claims will donate a turkey dinner to the families we have identified with this type of fire over this holiday weekend.

Tags: Claim Help, Detroit, Fire, Flint

We at Michigan Fire Claims Inc. would like to welcome Raymond Fair, our newest public adjuster to our staff.  Ray has many years experience working on the insurance side and has recently decide to help buisness owners and homeowners as a public adjuster.  Ray is from the Detroit area and now resides in Southfield.  Ray has a strong desire to help fire victims succeed in preparing and presenting their claim.

Tags: Claim Help, Detroit, Public adjuster, Southfield

Most public adjusters and insurance adjusters use and estimate program called Exactimate.  This estimating program is also the most well known and updated out of all the others that are available.  Public adjusters and insurance adjusters alike can find common pricing on material and labor consistant with the areas the estimates are written.  As an example, a house fire in Grand Rapids would have different pricing values then in a home in Detroit, Lansing and even Flint that has the exact parameters just because of the area.  Fires in Grand Rapids tend to run a little higher then most of the other cities through this program while Flint and Detroit seem to be the lowest in the state.  These are differences that should be over come and as public adjusters we are trying to raise those values as high as possible.

Tags: Estimates, Fire Claims

Congratulations to the Detroit Lions for an impressive win against the Saint Louis Rams in Detroit.  It has been a long time since football fans have witnessed a dominating performance such as that.  I would claim before the game that the Detroit Lions would need help to win and I was very wrong.  Help was not needed at all. I guess I will not claim they need help for the next game.

Tags: claim, Claim Help, Detroit

This past weekend saw a rise in home fire’s throughout Flint and Saginaw.  The majority of the homes that caught on fire were fortunatly vacant and caused no real property loss to homeowners or insured’s.  We have also heard that Detroit and Grand Rapids have also had a spike in property damaged by fire.

Tags: Fire, Flint, Saginaw

My daughter is very excited about going down to Detroit and watching her favorite team the Detroit Lions play the Philadelphia Eagles.  She tells me this morning that the Detroit Lions will need help with out Mathew Stafford and a lot of  help against Vick.  I am just excited to watch the Lions play.  With or without help against the Eagles, my daughter and I will have fun.

Tags: Claim Help, Detroit

Most of us remember where we were on 9-11-2001.  I was in Detroit providing help to a family after there home was burned the week before due to a candle being left too near combustibles when a fire started in the basement and nearly destroyed there home.  The neighbor next door ran out and caught our attention as she started to scream about the twin towers having planes fly into them.  It has been nine years since the towers were destroyed by fire and our world has changed alot.  Can you rememmber where you were? I was in Detroit at a fire scene providing help to a fire victim.

Tags: Claim Help, Detroit, Fire

I was able to give our staff at Michigan Fire Claims Inc a four day Labor Day weekend and it seems that all are enjoying with activities.  We have had a busy month in August and I know this was an especially good break for our team.        Our Grand Rapids office will miss Theresa Payne who has taken a position in Washington DC to be close with family.  Theresa all of us here at Michigan Fire Claims Inc. will miss you.  Good Luck with your new public adjusters license in Washington DC and don’t forget all your friends here in the Detroit and Grand Rapids area.

Tags: Detroit, Fire Claims, Grand Rapids, public adjisters