If you have suffered a house fire, you must know how devastating such an experience can be. Not only do you lose valuable property, but there is also a loss of a lot of personal belongings that hold sentimental value and the risk to your and your family’s health and lives.

In many unfortunate cases, people are unaware of their insurance policies and are cheated out of their full and due compensation. If you have gone through a house fire and need to file a fire claim, here are six tips to help you maximize your fire claim.

1. File Your Claim as Soon as Possible

You should file your fire claim as soon as you can by getting in touch with your homeowners’ insurance agent. The insurance company will ask you to submit a proof of loss claim, a list of all of your lost items and their value. You should include information like the date of the fire, the location where there was most damage, whether there were any injuries or other people involved, whatever temporary repairs had to be put in place, and if a police report was filed.

2. Ask for an Advance Against Your Claim

In case your house is no longer livable and you have to evacuate, you can ask your insurance company for an advance against your claim. This advance can cover things like basic necessities, some regular clothes, food, and transport. This money will be deducted from your total amount once the claim has been filed, so spend it responsibly.

3. Take Inventory of all Damaged Items

Taking inventory means making a detailed and thorough list of everything in your house that was damaged or lost due to the fire. You should start making a list as soon as possible so that you do not forget to put anything on it. Try not to throw away or misplace damaged items as they can be proof of your fire claim. Your insurance company might not compensate you for a lost item if you cannot prove it to them.

4. Keep Track of Living Expenses

A loss of use claim in your insurance policy means that the company has to reimburse you for any living expenses if you had to evacuate your home due to the fire. For example, if you stay at a hotel or a friend’s house, the insurance company will reimburse you for hotel charges or reimburse your friends for any additional costs they bore by hosting you in their home. However, if you want to claim loss of use, you need to ensure you keep records of your living expenses and ask your temporary hosts to do the same.

5. Continue to Pay your Insurance Premiums

After you file your fire claim, make sure you continue to pay your insurance premiums. This way, you can claim liability protection for your home. If you are staying somewhere else, you can give your insurance company that addresses and claims liability coverage.

6. Hire a Professional to Help You Out

Handling fire claims and meetings with insurance agents while recovering from a devastating event like a house fire can be difficult, especially if you have no previous experience dealing with insurance companies. In such a situation, it may be in your best interest to hire a public adjuster to negotiate your fire claim on your behalf.

Choose Georgia Fire Claims for Your Fire Insurance Needs

Sometimes, your fire claims can be too much for you to handle. Your insurance company might create problems for you or may not be willing to give you the insurance money you need; this is where your public adjuster steps in. Georgia Fire Claims is a company that has been in business for a long time and will help you process your fire claim to get your insurance money as soon as possible.

The fire claim process is long and arduous, and you want people who know the ins and outs of the game. Georgia Fire Claims is one such company.

You’re likely already stressed because of the fire in and around your home; Georgia Fire Claims knows this. Contact us now if you are looking for a fire claims adjuster and want a professional to worry about your fire insurance claims!

You can get a fire claim quote at (833) 899-FIRE or send us a message at [email protected].