A fire can quickly grow out of control and damage your commercial property and the products and equipment it contains. If your property and contents sustained fire damage, your Corpus Christi Commercial insurance claims lawyer could cover fire damage. In the immediate aftermath, knowing how to apply for the financial compensation your coverage entitles you to receive can be challenging. It can also take time to navigate the insurance process.
When a commercial insurance lawyer represents you, they can take on the insurance company for you. They will review your policy’s details and determine the coverage you should receive and its financial limitations. An attorney can also protect you from lowball offers and bad-faith insurance tactics. As a commercial property owner, if you put insurance protection in place, your lawyer will fight to obtain it when you need it.
Provide Your Lawyer With a Complete Copy of Your Commercial Insurance Policy
Recovering the compensation you need after a fire depends on your policy’s stipulations. Provide your property insurance lawyer with a complete copy and include any addendums, riders, or waivers that affect its coverage.
Your lawyer will examine your policy for:
- Any stated exclusions
- Notification requirements
- Filing deadlines
- Claims processes
- Property definitions
- Compensation limitations
Insurance policies can contain a myriad of legal language and jargon. They can also have fine print that can be confusing. An attorney can thoroughly review your contract and explain it in easy-to-understand language.
What do Commercial Insurance Policies Typically Cover?
Every insurance policy is unique and will vary according to the covered property and its contents and costs. In most cases, commercial property insurance coverage includes:
- Fire
- Wind
- Theft
- Burglary
- Lightning
You might struggle to recover compensation if a fire is believed to have been deliberately set. Your lawyer will compile proof that refutes any such allegation in your case. If a fire damaged or destroyed your commercial building, within the limitations of your policy, it should cover the following losses:
- Tools
- Inventory
- Building
- Fencing
- Equipment
- Computers
- Furniture/furnishings
- Landscaping
- Outbuildings
- Personal property
Your policy will describe any specific exclusions that might preclude compensation. If it does not, you could be entitled to appropriate coverage, and your lawyer will fight to retain it for you.
Commonly Reported Causes of Commercial Property Fires
When pursuing compensation, your insurance company will want proof of the fire’s cause to rule out foul play. You, too, will want to understand how the fire started to prevent a possible recurrence. Common causes of commercial fires and resulting damage include:
- Kitchen and cooking equipment fires
- Heating and other mechanical equipment fires
- Electrical, wiring, and lighting equipment fires
- Cigarettes and other smoking material fires
Human error can cause a fire without being arson-related or intentionally set. Your lawyer’s investigative team can obtain fire department and other first responder reports and witness statements that document the fire’s cause and prove your right to recover damages from your insurer.
We have offices in Houston, Corpus Christi, and Victoria; and will travel to any corner of Texas if we are capable of preventing an injustice.
How a Commercial Property Insurance Lawyer Can Fight for You
When you are ready to pursue compensation, consider contacting a lawyer first—even before contacting your insurance company. If a recent fire damaged your business, our insurance law team will seek compensation for you. We will:
- Create a detailed list of your losses
- Explain your policy’s monetary and maximum limits
- Explain your state’s insurance laws and how they apply to your case
- Complete and submit insurance application and claim forms
- Handle all communications with the insurer and its adjuster
- Carefully assess the monetary value of your insurance claim
- Negotiate the best possible financial settlement on your behalf
Cases like yours rarely go to court. However, if an acceptable settlement offer is not forthcoming, your lawyer will take your insurer to court and keep fighting for the compensation you need and deserve.
A Lawyer Can Protect You from Bad-Faith Insurance Practices
When an insurance company acts in bad faith, it can make recovering valid damages difficult. Bad-faith practices can include:
- Denying your claim without a valid reason
- Failure to conduct a thorough investigation
- Knowingly making an unfairly low offer
- An unwarranted delay in responding to you
- Intentionally misrepresenting your policy
- Deliberately delaying payment on your claim
A lawyer can help you avoid these and other bad-faith actions that could lead to a smaller settlement than you deserve or prevent you from obtaining compensation.
A Commercial Property Insurance Attorney Can Document Your Property Losses
Insurance companies require a plethora of proof that substantiates your losses before negotiating a settlement or compensating you. To prove the extent of your damages, your lawyer will:
- Take or obtain extensive and detailed photos of the damage
- Obtain as many photos of the property before the damage as possible
- Commercial property replacement or repair estimates
- Invoices for emergency boarding up of the property
- Contact details for anyone who witnessed the fire or its cause
- File an effective appeal if your initial request is denied
Your lawyer will also speak to firefighters and others at the scene and to fire recovery and accident reconstruction specialists. They will collect financial records that prove your damaged property’s value. An attorney can submit these items with your application, claim, or demand letter.
Call Now for Your Free Consultation About Recovering Losses After Fire Damage
With 50-plus years of experience in insurance law, our law firm represents clients whose insurance company unfairly delays or denies their claims. If this is you, we can help. We will review your commercial property insurance policy and prove it covers fire damage.
We can also represent you without any upfront fees, so we can work on your case promptly. We receive payment only if we resolve your fire damage case. Learn more about your rights and how we can advocate for you by contacting our case review team at Carrigan & Anderson, PLLC. We answer the phone seven days a week, so call us today.
At Carrigan & Anderson, PLLC we can talk to you about your options and rights.
