Texas Fire and Smoke Damage Insurance Attorneys

Cooking fires can start suddenly and spread quickly. The most common reasons fires break out in the kitchen include:

• – unattended cooking
• – grease fires
• – placing flammable items or cooking equipment near an active stove
• – wearing loose, hanging clothing while cooking
• – forgetting to turn off burners, stoves, and ovens

Cooking fires can start suddenly and spread quickly. The most common reasons fires break out in the kitchen include:

Many families are devastated each year by fires that ravage their homes. At Grisham & Kendall, PLLC, our legal team has represented a great many of these unfortunate families and individuals, and we have compiled the following list of preventative measures that you should take to avoid finding yourself in a similar situation.

1). Make sure to put smoke detectors at strategic areas around the house, including the kitchen and bedrooms.

2). Do not leave the kitchen while cooking.

3). Do not leave lit candles unattended

4). Regularly check that your smoke detectors are working properly.

5). Make sure that fire extinguishers are readily available in the kitchen and in the garage.

6). Have your heating elements and radiators inspected regularly

7). Cover your fireplace with a metal screen.

Though the tips mentioned here can be very helpful in preventing some of the most common causes of house fires, there are still situations in which fires cannot be avoided. In these cases, families should be able to rely on their home owner’s insurance to provide an adequate settlement to help them recover.

Electrical fires can begin for a number of different reasons. Typically an electrical fire can be traced back to the following issues:

1). Issues with fixed wiring in the home, such as old wiring and light switch and electrical outlet malfunction

2). Faulty electrical wiring in power cords

3). Faulty light fixtures and light bulbs

4). Misuse of electrical outlets, such as overloading circuits and running cords underneath carpet or rugs

Every year, approximately 26,100 electrical fires are caused by these problems, costing nearly $1 billion in total for Americans and untold physical and emotional suffering.

Even if you don’t smoke, there is a chance that a smoking fire can be caused by someone who does smoke. Some ways people try to prevent smoking fires in their homes and businesses include:

1). Prohibiting indoor smoking

2). Providing outdoor ashtrays

3). Posting signs encouraging people to use ashtrays

4). Staying alert to potential dangers, such as people trying to smoke in the building, and flicking lit cigarette butts near the building

5). Keeping the area surrounding the building free of dry brush and leaves.

Unfortunately, even when people take steps to prevent fires, they can still occur. At that point, it is important to have an insurance company that will do their best to help you recover much-needed compensation.

It means that something, at least in the opinion of the insurance company, has raised an alert that the reported loss may have occurred due to fraud, either by the insured or a third party. If you have been notified that an SIU adjuster has been assigned to your claim, you should expect that the carrier will perform a much more thorough investigation than is typical. The investigation will likely include extensive background checks and even surveillance. You may be asked to submit to questioning before a court report (i.e., examination under oath) and be asked for extensive documentation regarding your background (e.g., financial documents, phone records, etc.). It can be quite stressful for an insured to know his or her rights under such a situation, and whether it is appropriate to comply with the insurer’s requests or whether it’s better to object.

At Grisham & Kendall, PLLC, we have represented both residential and commercial property owners with their fire insurance claims for more than 15 years. The attorneys at Grisham & Kendall, PLLC, know how to respond to the insurance company’s tactics when it fails to properly adjust or pay your claim. Don’t fight back alone if your insurance company has treated you unfairly after a fire. The insurance companies have expensive experts who work exclusively for their benefit. Grisham & Kendall, PLLC, has formed relationships with qualified experts who are willing to work for insureds (not just the carriers) when homeowners or business owners have been lost property to fire. We will aggressively pursue your rights owed under the insurance policy if your claim was delayed, underpaid, or denied.

According to Thumbtack.com, it can cost anywhere from cost $3,000 to $5,000 to restore your home after a small fire, and as high as $50,000 to restore your home after a fire that destroys your roof or kitchen. 

It really depends on the extent of the damage. For some smaller fire damage, a repair may be made in as little as a day. For larger, more extensive damage, it may take months. 

If your house was damaged but not destroyed by a fire, it will need professional fire cleanup. Any direct damage from the fire will need to be repaired or replaced.

It’s dangerous to sleep in a home after a fire as the smoke particles may spread to other parts of the home and can linger on, even after the fire is put out. These particles can stay in the air for as long as 2-3 weeks. Breathing them in may cause a wide range of health problems. 

Fire insurance is typically a part of a standard home policy with contents coverage. This coverage will generally pay to repair, replace, or even reconstruct your home in the event of fire damage. They also will replace lost belongings, up to your policy’s limit.

If your house catches fire and the things inside it are either damaged or destroyed, your personal property coverage will help to pay to replace your belongings, up to your personal property coverage limit.