Commercial Fire Damage Insurance Claim Lawyers
Commercial fires can be among business owners’ most damaging property damage claims. Even despite the valiant firefighting efforts of the fire department, fires regularly put businesses under on a regular basis. It has been reported that nearly 60% of all businesses never recover from serious fire damage.
Fires can happen suddenly when we least expect them. Maybe your business handles flammable materials, dangerous electrical clip equipment was left unattended for too long, or perhaps the fire resulted from arson or human error. Whatever the case, fire and smoke damage can devastate commercial properties, leaving business owners desperate for adequate compensation for damage restoration following a commercial fire.
In some cases, however, an insurance provider may be reluctant to pay the policyholders what they are owed. In such cases, seeking legal representation from attorneys well-versed in commercial property damage insurance law is essential. Our San Antonio law firm can help you take legal action in the pursuit of a fair settlement for your insurance claims. Do not give up seeking compensation when your insurance company wishes to avoid paying what you deserve. Our lawyers can hold them to their contractual obligations in the pursuit of fair and full compensation.
To discuss your insurance claim in more detail, please schedule a free consultation with our legal team today.
What to Do After a Fire?
For commercial properties, the policyholders must prioritize how to document and submit their insurance claim after a fire. This may include making a detailed list at the beginning of the claims process.
It is essential that you wait until safety can be assured in the building before beginning documentation and gathering evidence to support your insurance claim.
Document the date and time of the commercial fire. If there were any injuries sustained in the fire, document those as well.
If others beyond the policyholders or homeowners were involved in the fire, gather information about them as well. All witnesses may be useful to help support your claim.
Provide a detailed description of the condition of the building or structure before the fire breaks out. Then, detail how the fire damaged the building and its contents.
Seek quotes from construction companies and repair companies for how much replacements and repairs may cost. Additionally, attempt to acquire police reports and fire department reports related to the fire.
It is vital that you be aware of all insurance company filing deadlines to ensure that you receive your insurance claims payments. For assistance filing your insurance claim, seek professional legal counsel from attorneys with extensive experience in the practice area of commercial property damage loss. Our law firm can help protect your rights and interests as you seek adequate compensation under your insurance policy.
What Are Common Types of Fires in Texas?
In 2022 alone, the Texas Department of Insurance estimated that fires caused more than $600 million worth of property damage claims. And while fire can occur just about anywhere and from any cause, there are certain types of fires that commercial properties suffer more often.
These include:
- Electrical fires: These commercial fires may be caused by malfunctioning electrical devices, overloaded circuits, faulty wiring, and other electrical or mechanical issues
- Heating equipment fires: In the winter, many of us turn to space heaters, furnaces, and other equipment to help heat our homes and offices. If this heating equipment malfunctions, it can result in a fire
- Kitchen fires: These are the most common type of fire in Texas, regardless of whether we are talking about a commercial or residential property. Kitchen fires often occur when the pots, pans, fryers, ovens, and stoves are left unattended or malfunction
- Wildfires: Texas is not unfamiliar with wildfires. Even in densely populated areas, lightning strikes, human error, recklessness, and drought conditions could result in wildfires. In the year 2021, Texas had the second-highest number of wildfires across the country
Human carelessness and recklessness cause the vast majority of wildfires, accounting for nearly 90% of all wildfire causes. Wildfires can be absolutely devastating to property owners and the environment, sometimes destroying millions of acres of land at a time.
What Are Typical Fire and Smoke Damage Claims?
Regardless of the cause of the fire, oftentimes, the results are the same. Fires can destroy buildings and disrupt business, and even in cases where the fire does not destroy the building entirely, they may leave lasting damage or a smoke odor that diminishes the value of the commercial property.
Property damage claims are the most common type of insurance claim for fire damage. If your commercial property was damaged, or the contents and furnishings within the property were damaged, you may wish to file a property damage claim.
If the fire forces you to shutter your doors and close your business either temporarily or permanently, you may be able to seek fair compensation for lost profits while you rebuild by filing a business interruption claim.
While water damage may not be the first thing on your mind after a fire, firefighting efforts often involve using water to put out the fires, which can result in water damage. You should be allowed to seek adequate compensation for necessary cleaning and repairs.
Soot and smoke damage can also devalue a commercial property. Several types of smoke, including dry smoke, chemical smoke, protein smoke, and wet smoke, each cause different types of damage.
Does Your Commercial Insurance Policy Cover Fire Damage?
While many homeowners’ insurance policies cover damages caused by fire, some commercial property insurance policies may have specific clauses that address the activities taking place in the structure, such as warehousing, industrial use, retail use, kitchen use, or office use, and each will come with its own risk concerns.
When a fire damages or destroys an insured property, policyholders must understand what is and is not typically covered by insurance policies. If you do not have adequate coverage, you cannot count on the insurance company to help you out after a devastating fire.
Prior to filing your insurance claim, we encourage you to contact our law office for a free case evaluation, wherein we will go over your insurance policy and help you determine your rights and your potential for financial recovery.
When is Fire Damage Not Covered?
Insurance policies do not always cover fire damage. For example, an insurance provider may not cover the fire damage if the property was considered vacant at the time of the blaze. Every insurer defines vacancy a little differently than the last. However, in most cases, a property is considered vacant if it has been unoccupied for 30 straight days.
Additionally, if the property owner intentionally caused the fire, then the insurance company will not respect their claim. Arson committed by the policyholder is never covered. In fact, you could get in trouble for insurance fraud if you are found guilty of arson.
Do You Need to Hire an Experienced Attorney to Represent Property Damage Cases?
Our TX law firm can help you negotiate with insurance companies, gather reports from police departments and fire departments, collect repair and replacement estimates, and help you throughout the claims process as you seek financial compensation for the damages your property has suffered.
It is unfortunate, but sometimes insurance companies feel that they can walk all over their policyholders if those policyholders are without legal representation. We will act on your behalf to defend your rights and seek compensation for any fire damage or other further damage.
What Are Bad Faith Practices That Insurance Companies Sometimes Employ?
Sometimes, a fire claim is denied for valid reasons, such as the policyholder not paying their premiums on time or the insurance company investigation being able to prove that the policyholder committed arson. However, there are certain bad faith practices that insurance companies sometimes utilize in order to avoid paying the policyholders what they deserve.
These include:
- Delaying or denying fair and equitable settlement offers
- Denying a claim based on the policyholders’ race, gender, religion, ethnicity, or other protected status
- Failing to deny or confirm an insurance settlement within a timely manner
- Failure to adequately explain why the insurance claim was denied
- Misrepresentation of the facts
- Misrepresenting insurance policy provisions
- Refusal to conduct an investigation within a reasonable amount of time
Schedule a Free Case Review with Our Commercial Property Damage Attorneys Today
If you have a property fire claim, it is extremely important that you retain professional legal representation from experienced attorneys, such as the lawyers of our legal team. As your legal representatives, we can help you protect your legal rights as you pursue fair compensation for your insurance claims.
Our San Antonio, Texas, law firm is dedicated to helping property owners and policyholders who are having difficulty recovering what they are owed from insurance companies. We have the experience and dedication required to help you with your case.
Schedule a free, no-obligation case evaluation today by calling us at 877-890-6372.
