Free PDF: Fire Survivor’s Guide to Insurance (For House Fire Victims)

Written by Andy Stauffer

August 29

fire survivor's guide to insurance pdf

If you’ve been a victim of one of the recent fires in Colorado Springs (either the Waldo Canyon or Black Forest fire), you may still be reeling from the traumatic experience, wading through all the paperwork, financial documents, and the insurance claims process. If so, here’s a free resource we wanted to share which we think you’ll find to be helpful: it’s called “Disaster Recovery: A Survivor’s Guide to Insurance,” and it’s a helpful 126-page guide created by CARe (Community Assisting Recovery).

CARe is a group from California that created this guide to help victims of the fires that frequently break out in the San Diego area. But we’ve been able to give this guide to people in Colorado Springs who’ve either lost their homes or have had partial damage due to the Black Forest fire and they’ve found it to be quite helpful. So feel free to download the PDF by clicking here. Let us know what you think! We hope you find it helpful.

care-survivors-guide-to-insurance
Click Here to Download the PDF

Table of Contents:

Chapter 1

  1. Getting Started
  2. First Steps
  3. The Claims Process in a Nutshell
  4. Insurance Flow Chart
  5. Meeting with Other Disaster Survivors

Chapter 2

  1. First Steps to Recovery
  2. Tasks for This Chapter
  3. About Your Policy and Your Claim
  4. Keep a Claim Diary
  5. Take the Money
  6. Obtain a Copy of Your Entire Policy
  7. Protect Your Property from Further Damage
  8. Before You Remove the Debris
  9. Public Adjusters
  10. Commonly Overlooked Damage
  11. Special Considerations for Condo Owners and Other Homeowner Associations

Chapter 3

  1. Starting the Claims Process
  2. Tasks For This Chapter
  3. Your Personal Property Inventory
  4. Scope of Loss
  5. Hire Your Own Experts
  6. The Role of the Adjuster
  7. Communicating to Protect Your Claim
  8. Key Policy Deadlines

Chapter 4

  1. Understanding Your Policy
  2. Tasks For This Chapter
  3. What Kind of Policy Do You Have?
  4. Declarations Page
  5. The Different Coverages in Your Policy
  6. The Relationship Between the Coverages
  7. RCV, ACV and Depreciation Defined
  8. What is Underinsurance?
  9. When the Adjuster’s Actions Conflict with the Policy

Chapter 5

  1. Dwelling Coverage
  2. Tasks For This Chapter
  3. Determine Amount of Repair/Reconstruction
  4. What is a Scope of Loss
  5. Like Kind and Quality
  6. Line of Sight Rule
  7. What is Depreciable in the Dwelling Coverage?
  8. Sketching Your Own As-Built Floor Plan

Chapter 6

  1. Personal Property Coverage
  2. Tasks for This Chapter
  3. Creating Your Personal Property Inventory
  4. Turning in Your Inventory to the Insurance Company
  5. Special Considerations for Partial Losses

Chapter 7

  1. Living Expense, Debris Removal & Other Coverages
  2. Tasks For This Chapter
  3. Additional Living Expenses
  4. Debris Removal Coverage
  5. Other Structures Coverage
  6. Building Code Upgrade Coverage
  7. Landscape Coverage (Trees, Shrubs, Plants and Lawns)
  8. Other Coverages

Chapter 8

  1. Negotiating with your Insurance Adjuster
  2. Tasks For This Chapter
  3. If a Lawyer is Already Involved
  4. Recognizing Trouble
  5. Signs You May Need to Consult an Attorney
  6. What You Can Do When You Spot Trouble

Chapter 9

  1. Hiring Professionals to Help with Your Claim
  2. Tasks for This Chapter
  3. Professionals Available to Help With Your Claim
  4. Attorneys and the Insurance Claim
  5. How to Find the Best Professional for You
  6. Can I Fire a Professional After I Hired Them
  7. In Closing

 

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