Michigan Insurance Claims – Public Adjusters and Loss Consultants

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

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 the past few months, we received a large number of inquires for advice about claims related to flood damage. This year was particularly eventful for Michigan, as we had to endure not just frigid temperatures but also a lot of snow. That meant flooded homes and basements, both from ruptured pipes, and from the melting waters.

While they result in the same kind of damage – destroyed floors, moldy walls and furniture, toxic mildew – most homeowners will often, mistakenly, call them both flood damage. It may not be a problem if they actually carry flood insurance. But usually, especially if the property is not situated in a flood area, they do not. So when they contacted their respective insurance companies to report the damages, the person at the other end, informed them that, since their policy does not include flood coverage, the insurance company will not pay for water damages.

That shouldn’t be the end of it. It wasn’t for the homeowners our public adjusters worked with. In over a dozen such cases, we properly documented the water damage, submitted them as water overflow claims, and were able to get settlements to cover the cost of repairs and lost possessions.

At Michigan Fire Claims, happy endings is what we strive for everyday!

Tags: flood insurance, michigan, Public adjuster, Water Claims, water damage, Water Loss

With the coldest days still ahead of us, fire risk is also on the rise. Our private insurance adjusters at Michigan Fire Claims work on a daily basis with homeowners that had devastating fires. During this time of year, most fires involve portable or space heaters, with electrical fires a close second. Improperly maintained or operated equipment is usually the main cause.

There are few basic precautions to consider, so you and your family stay safe and warm:

- have your heating appliances inspected by a certified professional
- operate gas or kerosene space heaters with the greatest care, as they account for the highest fatality risk protect floors under wood burning stoves, and leave enough clearance, as stray embers or overheating could easily start a fire
- for electric appliances, check all cords, and make sure you don’t overload the circuits when plugging them in.
have your vents and chimneys inspected and cleaned every season
- keep all combustibles away from any heaters
- don’t leave any open fires unattended (candles, cigarettes, fireplaces, stoves, etc)
- make sure your smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector (a must if you are using any space heaters besides electrical) are working properly
- talk to you kids about fire safety. As most fires occurs at night – having a clear fire escape plan that your kids understand and have practiced dramatically increases their chance of surviving one.

We hope you stay warm and safe, as the the cold weather is here for a little while longer.

As we get ready to uncork the champagne bottles, here at Michigan Fire Claims, I realize we have a lot to celebrate! Therefore, my thoughts turn gratefully to all of those who make our success possible: our customers, our employees, our partners, and of course, our families.

We had a very strong year, handling over 200 claims for families and businesses all over Michigan. While that in itself meant a lot of hard work and long hours for our team, the success we had in recuperating property losses for our clients makes it especially rewarding. For our company, there is a direct correlation between our success and how well we do for our clients. So I know, that our success also means families being able to rebuild their lives and businesses getting a new chance to prosper.

To our customers, as they settle into their new lives, post fire or flood, we are grateful we had the chance to help you through such difficult times, and we wish you the best of luck. Also, as most of our business comes from referrals, our sincere gratitude to all customers and partners for helping us have a stellar 2010!

Michigan Fire Claims

Tags: Claim Help, Fire Claims, Insurance Claims in Michigan, Michigan Fire Claims, Public adjuster

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

A reminder to all insureds that a Proof of Loss or Sworn Statement in Proofs of  Loss are generally filed within sixty days from date of loss or upon request from the insurance company.  These are complicated documents and insureds should look to a public adjuster or adjuster for the assured for help in understanding how to file these documents.  These are documents that need to be notorized by a notary for them to be acceptable.

Tags: Proof of Loss, Sworn Statements in Proofs of Loss

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

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