Contractor Started Fire in MY building - Claims Adjuster?

Question

So this morning I received a call from my neighbor across the street from one of my properties. My neighbor was calling to let me know she had called 911 and the Fire Dept after she watched roofers working next door start a fire on my building with a blowtorch!

Basically, there is new construction going up next door. There is a 6" gap between our buildings. The developer had roofers come out to build a "cricket" to cover the gap.

First off, I'm not entirely comfortable with the developer doing this as they are working on my roof and constructing a cricket that diverts all the water onto my roof.

Second, the roofers were using a blow torch to flash the cricket and kept putting it down without turning it off. One thing led to another and my attic was on fire.

I'm trying to determine if I should hire a public claims adjuster to represent me. Yes it will cost me ~10% of the claim, but I'm willing to pay that to have someone who really understands my policy on my side and so I can focus on what makes me money. I will pay for convenience and simplicity.

Has anyone been in this situation? Anyone have an adjuster to recommend in Philadelphia, PA?

At a minimum, damage from the smoke/fire/firemen includes smoke smell throughout, chipped stucco, broken windows, damaged paint, destroyed eave/soffit, insulation replacement, cleaning, roof damage, and loss of rental income. Plus any damage from the hundreds of gallons of water they sprayed directly into the eave and attic.

Keith Harris · Answer

First off, I'm sorry this happened to you and it is likely going to be a headache for a bit, that is the nature of the insurance business. I would like to offer you a different perspective directly from an insurance adjuster.First thing is you should definitely be calling your insurance company. Their job is to make you whole, based on your policy. This is the big thing that a lot of people miss, your policy is what dictates on how repairs are paid (Replacement cost (RCV) vs. actual cash value (ACV)), and not necessarily your adjuster. Also, as someone who was thrown into handling fire claims with little experience, my best recommendation is to have a contractor present at the inspection. Your contractor is going to know what needs to be done and will obviously want to do more repairs as they can get paid more. I am obviously biased, but I would not personally use a public adjuster. I think having a good contractor and possibly a lawyer would be enough people on your side. As far as what it will cost you out of pocket, you should expect to initially pay a deductible. This sounds like a clear case for subrogation, and if they are successful at subrogating against the contractor, then you will get your deductible refunded to you. You should definitely document everything as best you can, too much documentation never hurts. Also, if your adjuster needs anything from you, try to get it to them as quickly as possible. Most adjusters are very busy with multiple claims at once, and not having to continually call someone will help everything move along quickly. Also, depending on your policy, you should have fair rental value coverage. This would cover the money lost from rent during the restoration process. Have your documentation of the average rent ready for the adjuster and they will appreciate it.Please feel free to PM me with any questions and I will try my best to help you out, good luck!

Troy Sheets · Answer

I'm thinking you'll need a good lawyer, not an adjuster. Ideally, the builders or their insurance will make you whole and you'll have no hassles. Call your insurance company first thing Tuesday (if you haven't already) and explain what happened. They may make you whole and then go after the builder if the builder (or their insurance) isn't responsive. I'd have a set list of what you want done to make you whole again and don't waiver on it. Have you called a ServPro or the like out to secure the property and keep the elements from further damaging the property? If not, you should. I've only dealt with an insurance claims adjuster from my own insurance company once. I naively thought we'd be teammates trying to resolve an issue. Not so much. They are not on your side, you're on opposite teams! Obviously polite and calm is always in order but you're the customer and you know what you want done. Stick to it. My claim was for water damage in a commercial building and we had commercial carpet that had come unglued and was lifting in multiple places. This joker wanted to have the remediation company dry it out and see if it "restuck" even though the seams had come apart. Also, he tried to get me to only do portions of hallways that were affected, not an entire hallway. I asked him if he could match 7 year old carpet wear, UV fade, and all, exactly? They are not on your side! I'd also call 311 and get the city involved, make sure the builder has the proper permits, licenses, inspections, etc. and get this incident on record with L&I as that's another angle you can possibly use.

Wayne Brooks · Answer

You shouldn't be concerned about the coverages in Your policy, you'll be going after the Developer, the roofer, and their insurance co.s.

Lucas Pfaff · Answer

Bump