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Fire Damage Insurance Facts You Need to Know

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LB2NvLMlSdQ

Facts You Need to Know About Fire Damage Insurance

Hello, I’m Ted Corless with the Corless Barfield Trial Group. Fire Damage Insurance. We’ve prepared a series of videos to assist people in making educated choices about hiring a lawyer. Today’s video is about fire losses and dealing with the insurance company.

Of all of the cases that I work on where I am helping my client deal with an insurance company, the toughest one to deal with is fire. It’s the most personal… I mean think about it when people come to you and they tell you that an insurance company isn’t paying for their roof claim.

It’s not that that’s not important, but it’s not personal. When people come to me after having gone through a fire, most of the time they are suffering from PTSD. They have likely faced their own mortality, or the mortality of their family members.

Insurance companies are bureaucracies. As much as the claims representatives try and be sensitive to the difficultly of dealing with an individual who has just been through a fire, they tend to be unsympathetic.

When you deal with a fire claim you’re really dealing with three different issues. You’re dealing with the people, the property and the future. Let’s talk about the people. The reason you’re dealing with the people isn’t because you’re probably dealing with an insurance company over an injury.

It’s more about the fact that there are people involved, which means that the insurance company is trying to investigate to determine what the cause of the damage was or they’re attempting to determine the extent of the damage and how to repair it.

But the problem is that they forget that these are people that we’re dealing with. I recently tried a case where most of the negative statements made by the insurance company during their closing argument came from a conversation that the claim representative had with my client within hours of the fire.

When he didn’t testify exactly as he had said in his written statement at the time that they interviewed him, they tried to argue that his inconsistencies suggested deceit. We had to understand the human side of what had happened in order to be able to explain those inconsistencies to the jury.

The second issue you deal with is the property and that’s seems generally easy, but it isn’t. You can imagine smoke damage, water damage, fire damage – affects everything in a structure. It’s like living in a barbecue grill.

And the insurance company’s claim representatives tend to have the idea that there is some way to clean something or to re-use something after it has been exposed to fire, but that’s rarely the case.

You can’t clean drywall after it’s been exposed to fire, smoke and water. You can’t. They do it anyway. Then there’s the issue of managing the property itself in terms of an inventory.

Think about it. Someone says to you, “you have a damaged computer. Okay, bring me the receipt to show me that you did in fact pay what you claim you did for that particular piece of property.” I don’t have receipts for those kinds of things in my house.

In fact, what I tell people to do is once a year, pick up a camera – video camera – walk around your house and inventory the things that are in your home. You never know whether a fire could come along and destroy not only the structure itself, but take every single piece of your personal property.

And a video like that, saved somewhere else, gives you the evidence, the information you need in order to get an insurance company to pay you for that property. The third issue we deal with is the future.

What are we going to be doing with this particular house? Is this a building? If it’s a business, is this a building that can, in fact, be rebuilt? Can it? Maybe not. And that’s when insurance companies can bring in vendors who are looking to do anything and everything possible to save their money rather than rebuild your home or your business and put it back into the place it was before that fire occurred.

If you ever have a problem with a fire, you should understand that more than 90 percent of fire claims end up in litigation. Meaning that there are so many different things that we can fight about, or that we have problems with that insurance companies and insureds routinely end up in litigation over those kinds of cases and we bring our resources to deal with those particular problems.

If your family has suffered a fire loss, or your business has been damaged by fire, please visit our website at http://www.corlessbarfield.com You take care of your family, and we’ll take care of the insurance company.

hello I’m Ted Corliss with the Corliss Barfield trial group we’ve prepared a series of videos to assist people in making educated choices about hiring a lawyer today’s video is about fire losses and dealing with the insurance company of all of the cases that I work on where I’m helping my client deal with an insurance company the toughest one to deal with is fire it’s the most personal I mean think about it when people come to you and they tell you that an insurance company isn’t paying for the roof claim it’s not that that’s not important but it’s not personal when people come to me after having gone through a fire most of the time they’re suffering from PTSD they have likely faced their own mortality or the mortality of their family members insurance companies are bureaucracies as much as the claim representatives try and be sensitive to the difficulty of dealing with an individual who has just been through a fire they tend to be unsympathetic when you deal with a fire claim you’re really dealing with three different issues you’re dealing with the people the property and the future let’s talk about the people well the reason you’re dealing with the people isn’t because you’re probably dealing with an insurance company over an injury it’s more about the fact that there are people involved which means that the insurance company is trying to investigate to determine what the cause of the damage was or they’re attempting to determine the extent of the damage and how to repair it but the problem is is that they forget that these are people that were dealing with recently tried a case where most of the negative statements made by the insurance company during their closing argument came from a conversation that the claim representative had with my client within hours of the fire when he didn’t testify exactly he had said in his written statement at the time they interviewed him they tried to argue that his inconsistencies suggested deceit we had to understand the human side of what had happened in order to be able to explain those inconsistencies to the jury the second issue you deal with is the property and that seems generally easy but it is it you can imagine smoke damage water damage fire damage affects everything in a structure it’s it’s like living in a barbecue grill and the insurance companies claim representatives tend to have the idea that there is some way to clean something or to reuse something after it’s been exposed to fire but that’s rarely the case you can’t clean drywall after it’s been exposed to fire smoke and water you can’t but they do it anyway then there’s the issue of managing the property itself in terms of an inventory think about it someone says to you you have a damaged computer ok bring me the receipt to show me that you in fact paid what you claimed you did for that particular piece of property I don’t have those kinds of receipts for the things in my house in fact what I tell people to do is once a year pick up a camera video camera walk around your house and inventory the things that are in your home you never know whether a fire could come along and destroy not only the structure itself but take every single piece of your personal property and a video like that saved somewhere else gives you the evidence the information you need in order to get an insurance company to pay you for that property and the third issue we deal with is the future what are we going to be doing with this particular house is this a is this a building if it’s a business is this a building that can in fact be rebuilt can it maybe not and that’s when insurance companies can bring in vendors who are looking to do anything and everything possible to save their money rather than rebuild your home or your business and put it back into the place it was before that fire occurred if you ever have a problem with a fire you should understand that more than 90% of fire claims end up in litigation meaning that there are so many different things that we can fight about or we have problems with that insurance companies and insurance we routinely end up in litigation over those kinds of cases and we bring our resources to deal with those particular problems if your family has suffered a fire loss or your business has been damaged by fire please visit our website at www.

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Source : Youtube

Public Adjuster Secrets Finally Exposed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bv00sDS9Mfs

Good evening I’m Elizabeth Vargas, and I’m John Stossel, and this is 2020 Katrina, was devastating. That’s. What was take forms? A lot of people were cheated, a lot of people were cheated, and these two sisters say they saw the cheating firsthand as independent adjusters working exclusively for State Farm Insurance.

Tonight, Cory, Rigsby and her younger sister Kari are speaking publicly for the first time about what they say went on inside the country’s largest insurance company storm. We were very proud to work with State Farm and we we did believe they always did.

The right thing we’ve, never seen any kind of activity like this, what they say they saw at state farms, Katrina offices in Mississippi, with supervisors, demanding that damage reports be ferried, replaced or changed so that insurance claims would not have to be paid.

We realized this is this is widespread this damage report, the sisters say, would have backed up a policyholders claim, but it was hidden in a special file with instructions. Do not pay bill, do not discuss.

I consider this to be a smoking gun. At one point. They even took pictures of a special shredding truck State Farm says it’s. Fred’s; documents to protect policyholder privacy, the sisters believe it was done to destroy key documents.

We found, I think shock was at first, but his State Farm to put themselves out there for fraudulent activity like this is huge, knowing that they could get caught the Rigsby’s. Sisters, allegations, if proven, would support the suspicions of thousands of homeowners along the Mississippi Gulf Coast who have not been able to get the insurance money to rebuild their homes.

State Farm covers almost a third of the homeowners in this area and in lawsuits. Many accuse it and other insurance companies of wrongly denying or low-balling their claims. It’s cruel and it’s, fraud and every damn thing I can think about it.

This was the front porch of stanchions retired. Dr. Wesley McFarland says he was outraged to be told by the State Farm adjuster. He would collect nothing for the total loss of his four hundred thousand dollar home, where his family had lived for decades, devastating news for him and especially for his wife, rosemary.

She just set there and she cried a little bit and she said well. What are we gonna? Do the wind’s, refugees from Vietnam, who scrimped and saved to make a home for their three children, got the same devastating news from State Farm.

When I was told that they denied my claim, I came out here and I cried. I sat on this one right here and I cry until 3:30. In the morning, wind damage is supposed to be covered under state foreign policy and during Katrina they were gusts of up to 145 miles an hour, but water damage is not covered.

Rigsby’s. Sisters say what they discovered was that State Farm did whatever it could to find. The damage was caused by water to avoid having to pay. So as long as it’s watered as long as well, they’re very happy.

But if it’s wind damage than everything changes, then they’re on the hook. Exactly the sisters say they saw a senior State Farm coordinator, go to great lengths to pressure outside engineers to prepare reports, concluding that damage was caused by water, not wind, and she pulled out an engineer report and she was flipping through it.

Can you believe this engineer said when damaged call this company and tell them if we don’t they don’t change their report? We’re, not paying their invoice, so you heard that I was standing up football and – and I believe she then followed up by saying – look at all these – that she had a stack of engineering reports on her desk on her desk and she said, Look at all these engineering reports that happened to have to go back or have to be changed.

It took three Engineering reports for State Farm to get one that concluded the winds damage was caused by water State Farm mistakenly sent her the first two which both concluded wind damage, was predominantly the blame they tried to cheat me.

They tried to cheat me right here. The winds now living in a trailer have hired a lawyer to sue State Farm. Whoever said calm comes after the storm, probably had a State Farm agent in its commercials and slogans.

State Farm has long cultivated its image as the good neighbor. They are not good neighbor and they’re, not our friend anymore. They are not, but the company says it has paid more than a billion dollars in claims in Mississippi and denies cheating anyone.

We have not been cheated. We, of course we have not been cheated instead of a company official State Farm, provided a Mississippi lawyer Wayne Drinkwater, who told me in advance, he had not been given the facts.

To answer many of our questions. Brian I don’t know what the facts are behind there. I don’t know what happened. Brian, I don’t, know the facts behind this case. As I have told you, but State Farm’s. Lawyers strongly denied the company had demanded changes in engineering reports to harm policyholders.

I just put no counter on the firm’s to come to any kind of pre set result. We do not do that. You don’t promise more work or take away work based on results of reports. We do not do that because we’re told by people who work for you, that’s, exactly what happened right here: Brian, that is not State Farm’s policy and as far as I know, we have no evidence That that has occurred, but it’s, not just the Rigsby’s.

Sisters who say something funny has happened with the engineering reports certified engineer. James can Overstreet says his report about the cause of the damage to the house that once stood here was secretly changed.

Now, when I came out here, there was just snap trees everywhere. You know, just from the basis of that there’s, a percentage wind damage to the house. His initial report concluded the damage was caused in large part by the wind, but Overstreet says someone apparently at the engineering firm wrote a new report for State Farm three months later, changing the conclusions from wind to water and then signed his name without his knowledge or Approval is that your signature, no mine’s a little different than that didn’t.

You didn’t sign this. No did you write their words saying that it was rising waters and mine said wind, a combination of wind, so somebody else wrote this and put your name to it. That’s. What it appears the engineering firm denies being pressured and says it stands by the final report.

The Rigsby sisters have now downloaded thousands of documents from State Farm computer files and turned them and their own detailed statements over to federal and state prosecutors. Two Mississippi’s, best-known trial lawyer eyes, popped out on the altered engineering reports and in a systematic way in which they were going about treating homeowners, Dickie Scruggs.

The lawyer who took on the big tobacco companies is now taking on State Farm and the Rigsby sisters. Allegations are a big part of his lawsuits and the Rigsby sisters. They know where the bodies are buried, they know who’s, who, in that organization they know how it works, and do you think the sisters have evidence that goes to criminal behavior? If this hidden criminal, nothing is State Farm’s.

Lawyer maintains he had never heard of the Rigsby sisters. You’re familiar with them. I am NOT a State Farm. Familiar with. I do not know the answer to that. The Rigsby sisters say that is hard to believe.

They say they told State Farm and its lawyers that they had given prosecutors, thousands of company documents – and they said okay well, just want to let you know right up front. This is what we’ve done.

We believe there’s been fraudulent activity, and this and we’ve turned it over for investigation, and then we were suspended at that point. Well, the Rigsby sisters, turning against State Farm was a big decision after working for the company.

For more than eight years, but it was when they came across the case of dr. McFarland that they decided they had no choice but to go to authorities. And I had to be the one to tell them that we would not pay them any any money for their home and you thought you were doing wrong.

Oh, absolutely, it was got retching, it was, it was horrible, it was wrong and – and we weren’t, we were hurting him and we didn’t have to all dr. McFarland and his wife could do was to collect from the limited Federal Flood Insurance Program, they were forced to live in a trailer just a few feet from where the family home once stood, rosemary McFarland will never see their home rebuilt.

She died this June that contributed to Rosemary’s, death. How so because she started going down everybody, there suffered almost a morbid depression. They had depressed and blamed State Farm yeah they don’t.

They haven’t, got any money from their insurance that they thought they and which would have put them back in to their lives.

Source : Youtube

What Everyone Needs to Know About a Flooded Basement

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emnA7QD0h4k

What Everyone Needs to Know About a Flooded Basement

Hey it’s. Okay, the window downstairs is broken. We’re up here, and the only thing that can happen to us right now is the water coming in very slowly. This storm went from really fun to really terrible.

Oh, my gosh. I need you two to go put something around the outside of this window: okay, what i don’t know, but throw that assortment. Okay, yeah come on! Oh my god: [ Music, ], [ Applause, ], [, Music, ], okay, listen! We can’t freak out that’s, a good idea.

Look at that! Yeah! Hey! Stop! Will you please what savannah we’re, not just sweating too! That’s. What i said, oh my gosh, the! What is flying to stop garage? Can you not? Oh, no um. Those blinds are broken, so we’re going to gonna be floating around here.

Okay, oh my god. We’re, not watching those lines out. Can you take those blinds? Oh, my god, that’s. Why everyone’s, saying that’s? Why we’re saying? Oh, my gosh! Oh my god! What’s? The problem that window’s gonna come out our whole.

Oh no, oh there’s like 40 boxes. In there books there’s. Problems, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, stop playing it go, go, go! Go! Take this to the counter. Take this to counter counter counter counter.

Go, go, go, go! Is it okay in here it’s. Fine in here we need a wooden stuff. That’s, good, that’s. This we can’t, take them upstairs, hey friends in the couches you go upstairs upstairs. Yes, okay, our basement is flooded.

Our house is flooded. It’s completely flooded there’s. I was worried about the upstairs. The basement is a or anyway, we’re, bringing all the couches up. Now i say we look at this danielle mara. Our basement is done flooded.

Oh boy, [, Music, ]! Please! I’m freaking out right now. Look at me: [, Music, ], so fuzzy, hey it’s. Okay, the window downstairs is broken. It bursts open, you can listen. Um people are downstairs, they’re kind of freaking out.

I’m scared, but i’m scared, but i’m, not even crying yeah. I’m. Sorry, if i’m sorry, if this is kind of shaky, i’m like really shaking right. Now it’s cause i’m cold. I’m scared. We’re, having a flash flood mom and dad’s on the carpet.

It’s about that. That thick is wet. Oh, i’m shaking so much. This is a scary time, but it’s. Okay, it’s; okay, [ Music, ] [ Applause ]. I know i know this is my beautifully flooded in the morning. No, it’s, not going fully flooded.

Don’t worry. We have to do school tomorrow. It’s. Fine, it’s only 9 30. guys. This is the best i can do. I’m devastated right now, but it’s just stuff. It’s, not even a big deal right. It’s just stuff.

It’s very frustrating very sad to see, but it’s just stuff. Okay, we need to go upstairs and stop it from getting into the upstairs. We got to get upstairs up there. Sarah, i know it scared! You! I’m.

Sorry, i’m. Sorry, i still love rain. I don’t care about this. You just scared! You, okay! Well, let’s, make sure everybody’s safe. Upstairs let’s. Go okay, walk in the bins. This is probably the scariest day of my life.

So far, um the window downstairs is burst. Carpets are flooded, it’s. Okay, we got the big couch upstairs we got most of the books. I’m. Sorry guys i am like shaking so much right. Now. I’m. So sorry [ Music ]! Oh no, are we having problems in here now? No, i don’t think so, but if it’s anywhere, it’s going to come right under this wall.

Well, in your mind, right now you’re scared of so we’re, not in the basement that’s safe. We’re safe from that. We’re up here, and the only thing that can happen to us right now is the water coming in very slowly.

It’s. Okay, that way, and upstairs there’s, no water, it’s, going off the roofs onto the ground, so there’s. Nothing to be scared of. It was scary for a minute trying to understand what was going on and trying to get all of our stuff out and save the basement, but we couldn’t save it so that’s.

The reason we got the reason i was busy. The reason i was scared downstairs is because the window broke and i thought tiara was right by it, and so i didn’t know if he got glass in him or what happened to him yeah.

So you just got scared, not knowing he was there, but you guys are upstairs and safe, and so it’s. Okay, yeah upstairs is the safest place. Okay, it’s. Done it’s, slowing down out there. There’s, so much water coming in the basement right now it’s, okay and and by the way like remember when we build our house on the highest point where we bought our hot water somewhere.

Someone’s. House is completely flooded, not just their basement. At least we have one room upstairs that’s, not wet all just live in the toy room. I guess it’s. Okay, we’ll, be all right. I don’t, see any other areas where it’s coming in what does the garage look like it’s in here in the carpet? Oh, no! It is not going up and over yet, though oh no, it’s.

I don’t know what to do. I don’t know either. Do you have a tarp and a shovel because we can go out? Put the tarp down and start shoveling dirt from the lawn on to try and build it. It’s not going to work there’s, just it’ll, just mud inside it’s coming in the foundation.

In the in the room, now it’s done we can’t stop it now. No, there’s, nothing. We can do um yeah all around the foundation. It’s coming in here now, right yeah, you can feel it there at the bottom. Does anybody know where the little kids are? I think they’re upstairs in the boys room? Okay, we need to get i don’t know what to do at this point: [: Music, ].

There is a house down the valley right now or 100 of them. That is having 10 times the problem i know, and in our neighborhood, probably too my gosh guys. This storm went from really fun to really terrible that’s.

Where i’m heading, i wonder what this room looks like kitchen seems to be okay over here, um update, serendipitous house is flooding it’s, not flooding. It is flooded, it’s. Flooded, it’s. The basement yeah, this is fine, hey 2020, you can uh, you can stop now settle down just a little bit now, please.

You know what, though this is life. This is. There must need to be opposition in all things. Happy 2021! Let’s. Go! Let’s, go somebody was praying for rain and they got it and we’re right in the middle of it for a minute.

Okay, um. This just keeps going. Oh, my gosh [ Music, ], [, Music ], the food truck the food truck. We got ta get out there a little watering. Okay, so um is updating us on the butt or the trailer yeah.

So the there’s, a cracked uh vent up there, that’s, letting a little water in, but i stacked a whole bunch of things in a garbage can up to the roof. So there’s like a table and two coolers in a garbage can so it’s dripping into the garbage.

Can now yeah everything in there is designed to be covered in water. It’s. It’s completely weatherproof yeah, so trailer’s. Fine, quick up, quick update. We are not as excited about the storm as we were before there’s now water coming into the house, and that what we just showed you is the least of it guys.

This is our basement yep, that is an inside waterfall. We now have four inches at least of water in the basement completely covered and it’s, not slowing down emergency alert national weather service.

A flash flood warning is in effect from this area until 12 45 a.m. Mount our basement is going to be so full of water. 12. 45 a.m. I know i’m. I’m, hoping there is a dangerous and life-threatening situation if people are in slot canyons or otherwise.

They’re in some serious trouble. Luckily it’s sunday, and so everybody was heading back but look flash flood warning. In effect, until 12 45 a.m, yeah we & # 39. Ve got some hours. Our basement’s. Gon na be charlie.

You just brought water in the house. Why would you like water, but your house is a trailer okay. What can you do about water in the basement? You just hire a flooded mitigation company and get them come in here.

We got to get the professionals in here tomorrow. First thing: if we can, can we call them tonight? They’re, probably gonna. Can you speaking tonight because we want to get on the list it’s, not stopping guys.

This just keeps going. I’m gonna we’re gonna go down there and check it out here. [, Music, ], [ Applause, ], [, Music, ] unreal, unbelievable, we might be the only ones around, though that are flooding.

Everybody else is like. Oh everything’s; fine, just a storm. This is fun, while all their water, in their yard, is coming right into ours. This part, this part, is wet and right there as well. Yes, it is wet isn’t it.

Maybe you’re like yes, [, Music ]. It is in the closet, oh sarah, what yeah we have a bunch of stuff on the floor and there we go all right is this? Oh, it’s. All the way right up to here. This needs to be moved.

It does it can’t that can’t that’s, part of the closet. It’s built into the boat, you put it in there. No, we got water coming into there now and along with that headboard attached. No, no, we’re just going to lift it up and okay on these two, oh yeah, i was going to say, but if i lift it it’s.

Going to pivot that and it’s not going to go anywhere. [, Music, ]! Look at this lake out here! Oh my gosh wow! This is a lake. Is it a cold one? It’s filled with this one [ Music, ] wow. Okay, that trampoline is it full.

It’s, full holy. It’s completely full because jump on the trampoline, someone jump on it. Oh that just fell in. Oh no! You suck all the way down, look at that it’s touching yeah. This whole area is just a lake.

This water could be in our basement right now, but it’s. Not oh, my gosh. What happened? What happened? [ Laughter, ], [, Music, ], okay, let’s get out of here before anybody else falls through stay on the cement, [, Music ], oh okay, we’re gonna go out and assess the damage near.

It just keeps going in there flooded flooded, flooded completely. Oh look at the pool, it is nasty. Wow, hey, are you okay yeah? Are you sure, because there seems to be some swelling or something yeah? Are you okay down here’s, the grinch? Okay? Oh okay, your legs are back.

You got all your stuff, yes, where is it right here and then? Okay right here right here, have fun guys choices? Okay, guys, love! You! Thank you for canyon! Thank you. You’re. Welcome! Oh, i dropped something.

Okay, bye, kids, love! You bye, bye, bye, bye, okay, thanks for having me i’ll call you i’ll. Let you know. Okay, thanks see you in the morning. Okay, get some sleep, so um, the littles, savannah, lizzie, az and canyon and danielle are sorry ali all went.

They went with sarah’s, other other mom, our other mom um. Now that they’re gone, i don’t know what we’re, going to do other than eat ice cream and just freaking sit here and cry sounds like a good idea.

Oh danielle does have real like ice cream. Um, because if you hear that noise, it’s, not stopping it’s still going it’s, not even slowing down it’s, just it’s literally like assessed damage. Once things start slowing down and see what happens, and so you got a hold of a company and what’s? Gon na happen, they’ll, be here in the morning.

They said they’re, getting a call a minute and they’re, putting us on the list in order of calls they don’t know when they’re gonna be here, though they said they’ll, be here first thing in the morning: oh, i said there’s, no point in coming until the rain stops because it’s just flowing in so our pool was three inches low.

Earlier today. Remember yeah! It’s, full it’s like crazy. Three inches of water in one spot is a lot of water and we found out the hard way right there. There’s like i’m glad you guys made it and i’m glad tr was here literally because we wouldn & # 39.

T have been able to do what we did. Everything was, everything was set up like just perfect. If we were talking about it earlier, really we weren’t. We were like, should we come down today or should we wait like we got here right before the storm started yeah, so we got here tonight which we could have got here yet or tomorrow or the next day yeah, the next tier guys we could have been Driving in the storm for about an hour yeah driving in the store stuck there yeah.

Third, when the window broke, we had everything else moved and we were not. Everyone’s out of the way everyone was out of the way. I would just like to say we were standing there and i said we have seven to ten minutes before that window breaks and this water goes about right.

Well, the one that got it the most was tr and i’ve, never seen you move that fast. It was like super human speed. It was like the movies where they like run on the wall and like it yeah insane. It was super.

It was crazy, but there was like glass flying at you. Yes, like literally, i thought it was a wave and then i was like what about tr, and then i saw him just like in enough time would be like this and go over, and i was like that’s when i lost it.

Maybe there’s, some people out there need some help, so we’re gonna go look around see if we can maybe help some other. Currently, people services first responders are focusing on life safety wow and i’m in like tears for them.

This is a floating floor. It’s floating it’s literally, like five inches up off of the floor. Oh, my gosh

Source : Youtube