Fire and smoke damage
After a fire, the paperwork burns slower
Homes, rental houses, restaurants and shops: the structure, the contents and the months in between.
A fire claim covers the building, what was in it and where you live while it's rebuilt. Each part has its own limits, forms and deadlines. Insurers often start with a recorded or sworn statement and a long list of documents. We prepare you for both, and we sit with you through them.
Where fire claims get stuck
Cause and origin
If the insurer suspects the fire was set, it says so through delay. We bring our own investigator and answer on paper.
Every room, itemized
Hundreds of lines, each with a price and an age. We help you build it room by room so nothing is left out.
Smoke past the doorway
Smoke damage reaches rooms the flames didn't. Cleaning estimates that stop at the doorway are short.
Living expenses
Rent, meals and mileage while you’re out of the house are part of the claim. Keep every receipt.
Fire claims, answered
Do I have to give a sworn statement?
Most policies require one if the insurer asks. It is testimony under oath, so come prepared, with your lawyer, and with the documents in front of you.
The insurer wants my tax returns and phone records. Is that normal?
Some requests are normal; some go further than the policy allows. We answer what's required and object in writing to the rest.
Can I throw out damaged things?
Not yet. Photograph everything, list it, and ask before anything goes to the curb.
Talk to us before the sworn statement
Call the office nearest you. A lawyer can usually meet within the week, in person or by video.