Louisville, Kentucky Fire Insurance Claim Lawyers
Forceful advocacy when flames, smoke, ash, and soot damage property in Kentucky
A fire can destroy your home or business in seconds. Fire, smoke, and related damage often mean that you’ll need to look for a temporary place to live and work. If you’re lucky, your home can be repaired. If the damage is severe, you’ll likely have to choose between rebuilding or finding a comparable location to live. At McWherter Scott & Bobbitt, our insurance loss lawyers work with professionals who can analyze the extent of the damage and the cost to repair, rebuild, or replace your property and your possessions.
Our Kentucky fire insurance claim lawyers have obtained numerous strong recoveries for our clients including:
- $9 million for an owner of a business who suffered the loss of business income and additional expenses
- $1.7 million in a supplemental payment for the owner of a condominium complex
- $950,000 for restaurant owners when a fire damaged their property
- $650,000 for a couple after a fire destroyed their home
What is covered by insurance in the event of a fire?
Your insurance policy should cover all damage caused by the fire, including damage from flames/scorching, ash, soot, smoke, and water damage from putting out the fire.
A standard homeowners’ insurance policy in Kentucky should cover:
- Your home/dwelling. Your homeowners’ insurance should pay for the cost of repairing your home with like kind and quality. If you can’t rebuild, we seek all available proceeds to be used for a new home. This coverage should include attached structures such as garages, as well as detached structures like sheds or barns.
- Personal contents. Your policy should pay for the cost to fix or replace damaged personal possessions, called “contents,” including furniture, appliances, computer devices, jewelry, clothing, and other personal possessions. To avoid disputes, you should have a complete inventory of your personal property stored in the cloud or a fireproof safe deposit box.
- Loss of use. Fire insurance coverage should compensate you for the expense of temporary housing and other living expenses while your home is being repaired, reconstructed, or until you find a new place to live.
Business owners should buy commercial policies that can help them in the event of a fire. These policies should cover all the above, plus the costs associated with lost business. This can and should include:
- Business interruption insurance
- Equipment loss failure
- Relocation and marketing costs
- Off-site damages
- Inventory losses
- Loss of ingress/egress
We also recommend that homeowners and businesses take photos and/or videos of their homes, personal possessions, business inventory, and everything their fire insurance policies cover on a regular basis. This evidence should be stored in the cloud, a fireproof safe deposit box, or a secure location away from the property, so the evidence can be quickly retrieved in the event of a fire.
What types of fire insurance disputes do you handle in Kentucky?
McWherter Scott & Bobbitt handles every type of contentious issue that may affect your claim including:
- Arson defense. Some insurance companies try to blame the victim by asserting that the policyholder caused the fire. Our Kentucky fire insurance claim lawyers defend these claims. We’ve successfully represented policyholders who are wrongfully accused of starting the fire that damaged their property.
- Rebuilding instead of repairing. Insurance companies prefer to pay the cost to repair than rebuild because repairs are cheaper. We work with professionals who have the experience and reputation to show that rebuilding is necessary, because there are no repairs that will make your home safe.
- Home and building valuation differences. Our insurance lawyers are skilled at determining the correct value so you don’t have cost overruns or need additional money after there’s a settlement or verdict. Different valuation issues arise with every home, townhouse, condominium, apartment complex, and business property, depending on the type of complex, the number of residents, the type of work that needs to be done, the materials that need to be used, the age of the property, and other issues. We understand those issues.
- Related damage claims. We’re skilled at showing that your insurance company needs to pay for any smoke, water, ash, and soot damage that coincides with the actual fire damage.
- The value of your personal contents. At McWherter Scott & Bobbitt, we work with property appraisers for the type of property you have, to determine the cost to replace your damaged contents or the actual cash value (whichever your insurance policy covers), and that the proper depreciation amounts are used.
- Negotiating in good faith. Our Kentucky fire loss lawyers hold insurance companies accountable when they try to force you to accept a low offer by not returning phone calls, taking unwarranted positions, failing to help you in a timely manner, and using other delay tactics.
How can your Kentucky fire insurance claim lawyers help me?
Our insurance loss attorneys help fire victims as soon as a fire happens in the following ways:
- Obtaining advances. We’ll help you obtain advance money (funds that are paid in advance of any settlement or award) so you have a place to live, food to eat, and funds for other necessities while your claim is pending. We also help obtain advances for businesses and nonprofits that have business interruption loss coverage – for a new location, notifications to customers about the fire, rental equipment, technology, inventory payroll, and other operating expenses – while your claim is pending. Be sure to keep records of all your relocation expenses.
- Securing your property. McWherter Scott & Bobbitt recommends emergency fire damage professionals who protect your property; take steps to prevent electrical, plumbing, and other utility damage; and clean up any debris while your claim is pending.
- Verifying your damages. To the extent it’s safe to do so, we recommend that you take pictures/videos of electrical sockets, your home’s foundation, the exterior of your home, and your landscaping. You should try to have digital images of all the fire damage as well as any damage caused by smoke, soot, ash, or water from the fire hoses.
- Assessing the value of your damaged possessions. We work with our network of professionals (builders, plumbers, electricians, home construction companies, engineers, and others) to determine the extent of your damage, what work is necessary, and the cost of repairs and reconstruction. We also thoroughly review the estimates from your insurance company.
After your immediate needs are taken care of, then we get down to the details. Our Kentucky insurance dispute lawyers help fire insurance policyholders by:
- Helping you identify and verify all your property damage, personal damage, business damage, and hidden damage.
- Working with building contractors, safety inspectors, engineers, architects, contractors, appraisers, and other professionals to assess and value the work that is required to restore your home or business property.
- Filing a proof of loss statement and a formal insurance claim for you.
- Showing, where applicable, that you should be compensated for the cost of rebuilding your home and/or replacing your possessions – instead of their actual cash value.
- Negotiating with the insurance carrier for advancements and to settle your entire claim.
- Advocating for fire insurance policyholders before arbitrators, judges, and juries.
Do you have a Kentucky fire insurance dispute lawyer near me?
Our Kentucky insurance dispute lawyers maintain an office at 2950 Breckenridge Ln, Suite 13-200, in Louisville. We discuss claims by phone and video too.
We understand your financial and emotional stress. At McWherter Scott & Bobbitt, we’re ready to answer all your questions, obtain funds for temporary lodgings, and fight for all the insurance proceeds you deserve.
Talk with our Kentucky fire insurance claims lawyers now
Your home is your castle. When a fire ravages through your home, you want to move back into your home just the way it was before the fire. That’s what fire insurance is supposed to do – provide the money you need to rebuild quickly and start living again. At McWherter Scott & Bobbitt, our Kentucky fire insurance claims lawyers are respected insurance loss attorneys. Please call us or fill out our contact form to schedule a consultation. We represent insurance claimants throughout the Southeast.