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Experienced Walnut Creek Insurance Claims Dispute Lawyer
At the Law Offices of Bruce C.F. McArthur, my mission is to assist you through the difficult process of restoring your home and belongings. One of the most critical aspects of this process is obtaining a full, fair and reasonable settlement from your homeowners insurance company (for your fire-damaged home, for the contents of your home, and for any other items covered by your homeowner's insurance policy), so that you can truly afford to repair your home and replace your belongings, without cutting corners. This is not a simple process and does not happen overnight.
Though the process varies from claim to claim, your insurance company will assign a claims adjuster to your fire. The adjuster will generally make his/her own determination of the repairs that are necessary, which will be reflected in a repair estimate/bid prepared by the adjustor (or obtained by the adjustor from a general contractor). At some point, the adjustor will make a settlement offer to you based on that estimate/bid. You may disagree with the claim's adjuster's assessment of what repairs are necessary and how much they should cost. The amount offered by an insurer for repairs is sometimes grossly inadequate, but may nevertheless be accepted by homeowners with no previous experience. Before you accept any offer, please contact my office to schedule a free initial consultation.
Don't Be Rushed Into A Hasty Settlement For Your Loss
After settling your claim, your insurance company is usually “off the hook” and has no further obligation other than payment of the agreed amount. After settlement, your insurer is not responsible to make sure that your home is adequately repaired. It is up to you as a homeowner to hire and pay a contractor to repair your home. If you settled for less than the amount needed to fully repair your home, that is your problem. Obtaining a fair settlement from your insurer is therefore critical. Many homeowners have discovered to their chagrin, after concluding a settlement with their insurer, that the amount they agreed to accept will not fully finance the repair of their home.
I will do my best to help you obtain a full, fair and reasonable settlement, for the damage to your home, for its contents, and for other covered items.
I will interview you and inspect your home as many times as necessary, as part of the process of understanding your claim, and evaluating the damage. If you do not have one, I will obtain a bid by a licensed general contractor specializing in fire repairs. It is my practice to carefully analyze and compare all available repair bids/estimates, including those obtained or created by your insurer. (These are usually detailed “line item” bids/estimates, frequently 30-70 pages in length, and consisting of hundreds of items,)
With the assistance of a builder, and your help, I will supplement the scope of repair as necessary, address pricing or other issues with your insurer and negotiate a resolution of your claim. When I have sufficient information to do so, I will usually present your position in detail, and in writing, to your insurer. In the process, I will address any insurance coverage issues that may arise. (Depending on the facts, specific provisions of your insurance policy may play an important part in the resolution of your claim.) If necessary, after settlement, I will also coordinate the disbursement of the insurance proceeds through your lender (if you have one), who will also be involved in the repair process.
After settlement of your claim, I will make myself available as necessary during the repair process, to address any other insurance issues that may arise.
I have been trained to use the "industry-standard" cost-estimating software (Xactimate) used (in the adjustment of property losses) by the majority of property insurers in California and throughout the U.S., and by many general contractors specializing in fire damage repairs. My understanding of (1) insurance law and the claims process, together with (2) my background and experience in residential construction, and (3) my familiarity with Xactimate and the “nuts and bolts” of preparing and analyzing repair bids/estimates, all make me uniquely qualified to protect your rights in connection with a residential fire.
Law Offices of Bruce C.F. McArthur
1850 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Suite 120
Walnut Creek, California 94596
Toll Free: 888-340-2270
Phone: 925-906-4775
Fax: 925-906-4776
Email