Accidents happen. This is one of the main reasons why people carry insurance coverage for their homes and properties.
Unfortunately, insurance companies sometimes make false accusations or statements that they believe a homeowner started a fire themselves, which is not then not covered by the insurance policy. This kind of bad faith interaction may sour homeowners’ opinions of their insurance companies, and that’s for good reason.
What should you do if your insurance company tries to blame you for a fire?
One of the things to do is to get to know more about your legal rights and responsibilities first. This allegation is serious, because if the insurance believes that you started a fire on purpose, it likely won’t cover the losses. That could be financially devastating and is totally unfair for the policy holder.
Your attorney will help you build a case against that claim. They will show that you were not home at the time when the fire started or help gather evidence of an electrical short or other unintentional issue that led to the fire. The important thing to do if you’ve been accused of starting the fire is to make sure that accusation doesn’t go any further.
If your claim is denied, then you do have a right to appeal it. In your appeal, you may want to include information from the local fire department or other details that help show that the fire in your house started and got out of control without your involvement. You should also submit information about your losses, so that there is proof that the fire occurred and of the items you lost in it.
Should you meet with an insurance adjuster alone?
When you meet with the adjuster, you don’t have to do it alone. It may be better to have legal support there, so that you don’t say or do anything that might be misconstrued as playing a role in the fire itself. You’ll be able to verify your home insurance coverage and keep track of the claims process from that point, knowing the legal options you have if your claim is denied over false allegations.