Louisville, Kentucky Wildfire Insurance Dispute Lawyers
Helping Kentucky policyholders when uncontrolled fires cause home and property damage
Wildfires can start without warning and spread quickly. If a wildfire reaches your home or business, it’s likely you’ll need to rebuild your property and replace all your possessions. With wildfires on the rise across the world, we recommend you review your insurance policy now to be sure you’re covered for wildfire damage. At McWherter Scott & Bobbitt, we help policyholders obtain advances for temporary lodging and the necessities of life during the rebuild. Our Kentucky wildfire insurance dispute lawyers understand how to prepare your claims, assess the damages, and obtain the proceeds you need to start over. We’ve helped many insurance claimants like you obtain full recoveries – many for one million and higher.
How can we help?
- What are the causes of wildfires in Kentucky?
- How do you verify that my insurance policy covers wildfire damage?
- What wildfire damage does my insurance policy cover?
- What type of secondary wildfire damage should my insurance cover?
- How do your Kentucky insurance dispute lawyers fight for wildfire victims?
- Common questions about wildfire insurance claims in Kentucky
- Do you have a Kentucky wildfire lawyer near me?
What are the causes of wildfires in Kentucky?
All you need to start a fire anywhere is heat, fuel, and oxygen. When those three elements are present in an uncontrolled environment, you have a real risk of wildfire.
Many wildfires are started by people. Campfires that aren’t fully extinguished, or still-lit cigarettes thrown out a car window can lead to conflagrations. So, too, can controlled burns that get out of control. Lightning strikes, dry weather combined with high winds, and drought most often contribute to wildfires.
Kentucky wildfires are increasing in number and severity
Wildfires are hard to control. They can quickly destroy tens of thousands of acres. It can take weeks or months to extinguish some wildfires.
We would know: Kentucky has been under a state of emergency for wildfires before. In November 2023, there were more than 266 fires in Kentucky that burned more than 33,000 acres that month. In 2022, there were 103.
When wildfires happen, federal, state, and local officials should issue warnings and alerts. They should inform residents and businesses whether they need to relocate. They’ll also advise you about the need to turn off the water and your utilities.
How do you verify that my insurance policy covers wildfire damage?
At McWherter Scott & Bobbitt, our lawyers review your homeowners’ policy, commercial insurance policy, and/or any other policies such as umbrella or excess coverage policies to determine whether you are covered for wildfire and smoke damage – and in what amounts.
Some insurers do have exclusions for wildfire damage for areas where wildfires are common. Kentucky policies generally do not have wildfire exclusions; they should be covered by your fire loss protection under a standard policy.
What wildfire damage does my insurance policy cover?
Your insurance policy(ies) should cover wildfire damage, in the same way they cover any fire damage. Wildfire insurance should include:
- Your home or office building(s). Your insurance coverage should pay for the cost of repairing your property, rebuilding your property, or the cost to move to a comparable location. If repairs or rebuilding are viable, your home and/or buildings should use quality materials. Forbes Advisor recommends that you purchase “extended or guaranteed cost coverage” which can help when obtaining quality parts is costly or the local labor costs is too high.
- Unattached structures. Your insurance company normally pays a percentage (such as 10%) of the dwelling coverage amount for items not attached to your house, such as a garage, fence, shed, or swimming pool.
- Personal property. Home and business owners should make a regular (yearly) inventory of their possessions (“contents”) so they can verify what personal items were damaged. Our lawyers work with appraisers to show the cost to replace these items or their actual cash value – depending on what value method your insurance policy permits.
- Temporary living costs. You will need to move to a new home or work location while your property is being repaired or rebuilt. You may need to live at this location for months or even more than a year. We’ll help obtain the advance payments you need from your insurance carrier to have a place to live/work, for meals, and for all other necessary expenses.
- Business interruption loss. Businesses that can’t operate after a wildfire can claim damages if they have an additional business interruption loss policy. We work with financial professionals who will review your business records to verify all your monetary losses including lost profits, overhead costs (such as a mortgage) that need to be paid during the reconstruction, marketing expenses (including notifying everyone about the fire), information technology, and other costs.
- Landscaping. Your Kentucky homeowners’ and commercial insurance policies should also pay for the cost of replanting new trees, flowers, bushes, and lawns.
Our Kentucky wildfire insurance claims lawyers are skilled at representing all types of property owners including the owners of single-family homes, condominiums (and condominium complexes), apartments, townhouses, duplexes, schools, churches, warehouses, manufacturing plants, and all other types of properties.
What type of secondary wildfire damage should my insurance cover?
Our Kentucky insurance loss lawyers help home and business owners with the different types of secondary damage wildfires can cause such as water damage, soot, ash, fire residue, and char. Wildfires can also damage your HVAC system. Secondary damage can occur even when a fire doesn’t reach your home. Smoke can leave different types of residue and lasting noxious odors.
Our Kentucky wildfire insurance claim lawyers hold insurance companies accountable for secondary wildfire damage by working with professionals who will identify the damage, explain the necessary repairs, and provide a cost estimate for the work.
How do your Kentucky insurance dispute lawyers fight for wildfire victims?
At McWherter Scott & Bobbitt, we’ll help you with each phase of your insurance claim including:
- Filing your claim with your insurance company. This includes identifying the appropriate policy and explaining the property and contents that were damaged.
- Explaining what documents you need. You’ll need your insurance policy, and images (photos or videos) of the damage to the buildings, landscaping, and contents – unless it’s unhealthy to be in or near your property. You’ll also need any pre-wildfire evidence you have of the condition of your property and an inventory of your possessions if you have them. We’ll work with our network of experts to obtain the additional documentation you need.
- Securing a Certified Industrial Hygienist test for smoke and wildfire toxins. Toxins can make your home or business unlivable or unworkable. We’ll work to ensure that your insurance company pays to have this specialist test your home.
- Obtaining professional cleaning, repair, and rebuilding experts. We’ll help you select the appropriate professionals (either the contractors the insurance recommends if they’re reliable or our recommendations) to work on each type of damage from repairs and rebuilding to cleaning crews, engineers, and architects.
- Handling every phase of your claim. We’ll help prepare your claim, itemize the damages, place values on each type of loss, and negotiate with the insurance carriers. We’ll help you obtain the temporary advances you need.
- Litigating your claim. If a settlement cannot be reached, we’ll argue your case before an arbitrator or a jury.
Common questions about wildfire insurance claims in Kentucky
Our Kentucky insurance dispute lawyers anticipate and respond to every argument your insurance company makes to try to deny or limit your claim. We’ll work to get answers to the most pressing questions for your claim, including:
- Does your insurance policy cover wildfire and secondary damage?
- Do any exclusions apply?
- Can your home, office, store, restaurant, church, or other structure be saved?
- Can your property be repaired?
- Can you rebuild or do you need to move?
- What materials should be used for any reconstruction?
- What temporary payments do you need?
- What business interruption loss payments should you receive?
- How long will any reconstruction take?
- What valuation method should be used for personal possessions that can’t be replaced?
Our Kentucky wildfire loss attorneys also hold insurance companies accountable for their duty to negotiate in good faith instead of using delay tactics to force you into a bad settlement.
Do you have a Kentucky wildfire lawyer near me?
Our office is located at 2950 Breckenridge Ln, Suite 13-200, in Louisville. We also consult with clients by phone and through video conferences.
At McWherter Scott & Bobbitt, we’ll guide you step-by-step through the claims process.
Speak with our Kentucky wildfire insurance claims lawyers now
At McWherter Scott & Bobbitt, we work to quickly obtain advance payments for the temporary home lodgings and business operations you need. We’ll verify whether your home can be saved or whether it needs to be rebuilt. We work with contractors, building code officials, homebuilders, engineers, architects, and others who will review the cost and timeline for any repairs or for a complete reconstruction. We’ll help you obtain the compensation you paid for so you can restart your life and your business. Please call our Kentucky wildfire insurance claims lawyers or complete our contact form to schedule a consultation. Serving the entire Southeast.