November 2016

7 Tips To Keep Your Home or Business Safer from Fire This Winter

House Fire Safety Tips, Public Adjusters / By

With Thanksgiving now over, we have the remaining holidays to look forward to. For the northerners reading this blog, you have a lot of SNOW and freezing weather ahead. Are you prepared?

As public adjusters, we know the colder months also cause a spike in tragic house fires, because people are staying indoors for activities like cooking and smoking, not to mention the increased usage of electrical items. However, a destructive or fatal fire can usually be prevented by taking a few precautionary measures.

According to the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA), there were 501,500 structure fires causing 2,685 civilian deaths in 2015. Most of these occurred during the coldest months from October to March.

There are several things you can do to prevent this from happening to you. Some are free, and those that aren’t free are affordable. The biggest hurdle is simply doing them! As per the NFPA, here are 7 different areas that need to be addressed, with an accompanying tip for each:

  1. Smoke Alarms: There should be one smoke alarm on every level of the home, and one both inside and outside each sleeping area.
  2. Cooking Safety: Keep the cooking area free from items that can catch fire.
  3. Electrical & Appliance Safety: Do not run electrical cords under rugs.
  4. Candle Safety: Candles should be in sturdy, fire-proof containers that can’t easily be tipped over.
  5. Carbon Monoxide Alarms: Carbon monoxide alarms must be located on each level of the home.
  6. Smoking Safety: Ask family members who smoke to buy fire-safe cigarettes and smoke outside.
  7. Heating Safety: Be sure the chimney and furnace are cleaned and inspected yearly.

These tips will certainly get you started on the road to having peace of mind but if you want full confidence then check out this downloadable house fire prevention checklist. Included within the checklist are 20 more tips and a quick reference list for developing a home escape plan.

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Hands Are Tied? Why Contractors Love Public Adjusters

Public Adjusters / By

I don’t go a week without hearing how frustrating it is when a contractor reviews an estimate provided by the insurance company doesn’t come close to paying for full replacement of what a customer lost.

More often than not, the insurance estimate doesn’t include any overhead or profit, either. These inadequacies impair a contractor’s ability to provide what is needed to get the customer back to enjoying life again.

Worse yet, the contractor and customer can’t do much about it. Their hands are essentially tied and the insurance company gets away with inferior assistance.

ONE EXAMPLE I ENCOUNTERED RECENTLY

Just the other day, I had a contractor named John call me, facing this same challenge with his customer. John has been a professional builder for over 20 years and knows his business inside and out. He was referred to a customer looking for a good contractor to work with in repairing their home after an attic fire.

The customer received an insurance estimate for $14,000 to repair the home. Immediately upon review, John knew this wouldn’t be enough to sufficiently complete the job. After having this estimate professionally corrected, it had a $7,000 increase! This sounds great, right? Sadly, it will more than likely be denied or settled at a much lesser payout because neither the contractor nor the customer can hold the insurance company accountable.

John could easily school the insurance adjuster on why their estimation was inferior to his own estimate. But in reality, he can’t do this because he isn’t allowed to represent the customer during an insurance claim settlement. It’s illegal for him to do so. The customer could legally argue for the increase, but unless they can professionally dispute the situation, they will likely be unable to successfully contend for the monetary increase.

Contractors love public adjusters because we can legally represent the customer, effectively contend for the superior estimate and quickly bring accountability to the insurance company.

If you are a contractor and have faced challenges such as that in the example above, the best move you can make is to refer your customer to a trusted public adjuster as quickly as possible. The benefits of hiring a public adjuster will benefit both the contractor and customer. The sooner we gain control of the situation, the more likely we will obtain an optimal and successful outcome. 

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Thanksgiving is the #1 Day for House Fires: Here’s Why

House Fire Safety Tips, Public Adjusters / By

Why do more house fires occur and more people die from October through April?

Simple. It’s the holidays.

There is no other season where more people turn on their heat, cook meals indoors and invite friends and family into their homes. During the holidays these three things together cause more happiness and misery than any other time throughout the year. The biggest culprit among them all is Thanksgiving.

In fact, “Cooking fires in residential buildings occurred more often on Thanksgiving Day than any other day of the year.” – NFPA

Thousands of cooking fires are reported on Thanksgiving every year causing tragic and even fatal events with property damage soaring into the millions. According to G.I. Joe, “Knowing is half the battle”, so here are tips to help you avoid one of the greatest reasons for cooking fires across America on Thanksgiving Day.

4 Turkey Fryer Safety Tips:

  1. Turkey fryers often tip over.
  2. Too much oil will cause splashing onto the burner.
  3. Overly hot oil will ignite.
  4. A hot fryer can burn hands and cause accidental reactions.

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5 Post-Hurricane Matthew Resources for Cumberland County Residents

Hurricane Resources, Insurance Claim Help, Public Adjusters / By

The surrounding Fayetteville, N.C. area is still seeing the aftermath unfold. Flooding, water damage, and lingering effects of the storm are an ever-present reality in the wake of recovery. Roadways are still closed, boiling alerts are just now being lifted, and many places are still under water waiting for the floods to recede. With rebuilding and recovery in mind, here are the top five post hurricane resources for the greater Cumberland County area.

Navigating road hazards and city maintenance

Fayetteville infrastructure has been devastated by washouts, flash flooding, standing water, downed trees and debris in roadways. The old saying “turn around, don’t drown” is still in full effect. The city of Fayetteville has to be given credit for taking questions and concerns head on in online forums, Facebook groups, and online at the city’s website. Rebuilding is neither a quick nor an easy task. Meanwhile you can stay up-to-date on current road closures on the city’s web page.

Short term property rentals

For many of those who were displaced for the storm, the reality of moving “home” isn’t quite a reality at this point. Shelters are full, with some closing as the state of emergency is lifted around the area. So where can people turn for the simplistic necessity like a roof over their head? The Cumberland County Housing Resource list is a great start for those looking to rent while they clean or rebuild. Also, the Department of Development website offers plenty of useful information regarding community rebuilding. The Department of Development committee can be contacted by phone, email, or social media all found on the website.

Food and alleviation

420 Dunn Rd. is most likely an address you’ve seen on the Internet, seen on local TV or heard on the radio. Covenant Love Church assembles volunteers 6 days a week, Monday-Saturday starting at 8:00 a.m., and closes with a hot meal at 5:00 p.m. Teamed up with Operation Blessing out of Virginia Beach, the Church has done massive cleanup over the past several weeks. If you’re in need of assistance, stop by 9:30am-4:30pm to request help. If you’d like to help, show up at 8:00 a.m. to fill out the volunteer form. For more information, check their Facebook page.

Another organization offering help is Manna Church Cliffdale. The Cliffdale site of the mega church is branching out with “adopt a block” to serve the community. Based out of two locations, 5117 Cliffdale Road, Fayetteville and 3744 Legion Road, Hope Mills, the church is offering a noticeable helping hand in Cumberland County.

Counseling services

In times of crisis, people often find a way to get through the immediate situation only to put off and repress their true feelings as time marches on and they begin to fully process the trauma. A couple of places offering help are Grays Creek Christian Center in Hope Mills and Mt Olive Missionary Baptist in Fayetteville.

Insurance claim assistance

Dealing with insurance companies can be the biggest pain during recovery. The process can even be daunting when it comes to estimating the damage. Not only can a Public Adjuster help someone recover between 30-70% more money, they can also make the process less of a headache. We are regularly answering questions and offering advice to help people get the most from their claim. Chat with us live through our website or Facebook page throughout the week. Or visit our Hurricane Matthew Insurance Claim Help page for more information.  You can always call or email if this is better!

Speak to a Damage Consultant!

Searching for help? Our group is ready to pay attention and see if we can get you the help you are entitled to! Please fill out the form to be connected to our expert personnel or call (317) 342-7540 to speak to someone right away

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