Many Southern California families suffered the horrifying loss of their homes in the recent Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego wild fires. Nearly 1,500 homes have been destroyed and hundreds more have been damaged. The process of adjusting homeowners’ claim will now begin with insurance companies working hard to limit how much they pay.
Insurance companies will be quick to pay for a coat of paint but often will not do the necessary investigation to search for all of the damage a fire can cause. Especially where a home is left standing, smoke damage is often not detectable to the average person. While some people will simple settle with their insurance company for the damage which is easy to see, with the assistance of an attorney or other trained professional, a homeowner can obtain the compensation they are entiteled to receive.
It is estimated that the loss from the October fires will be about $1 billions of dollars. While this may seem like a huge loss to the insurance industry, when compared to the $450 billion in policy sales last year, and the record $65 billion in profits, the loss if fairly minimal.
Many families suffered huge financial and emotional losses over the past week. They should not have to haggle with the insurance companies to obtain the compensation they paid for over the years with their premiums.