Smoke Damage

During the summer season, California witnesses a lot of wildfires. The hot summer sun dries up the land and can at times set fire to dry trees and bushes. These wildfires burn for days together, and acres of forests and woods are consumed in its rage. The smoke and fire from these wildfires have an adverse effect on the neighbourhood. Houses are damaged by the falling splinters and ash, and the smoke can cause a number of health issues to the residents.

Smoke Damage:

A wildfire may not burn your house, but it surely can create a havoc with the smoke, soot and ash it gives out.

Smoke damage can impact many things or places in the house, some of them are:

• The heating system in the house, helps in regulating the temperature of the house during the different seasons. It helps in providing warm water in the bathrooms, this system shares the ventilation ducts of the central air conditioning system of the house. Ash and soot thrown out from the wildfires, settle in the air-conditioning vents. Hence smoke damage hampers the systems and they may start malfunctioning.
• If your house has a garden or lawn, the falling ash and soot can damage the grass and plants around the house. The burning splinters may burn out small plants. The ash or soot will stop the flowers from blooming back. Hence smoke damage can have a severe impact on the plant life in the gardens and lawns, and it is very expensive and time consuming to replace all the plants and shrubs.
• Smoke and ash entering the house through windows or vents can severely damage the personal belongings of the owner. Smoke damage can be seen on the curtains, paintings, rugs, mats and clothes in the house.
• Ash blowing in with the smoke can fall and collect together in one place. This ash can congest the pipelines in the house, by settling down in the pipes. Smoke damage can result in plumbing problems in the house and may require a professional plumber to clear the mess.
• Pools use water pumps and filters for cleaning the waters on a regular basis. The falling ash and soot can fall in the open pools and then get clogged in the filters when the pools are cleaned. The filters and pumps may not function properly, requiring immediate repairs or cleaning.

If you house or any belongings in the house have been damaged by smoke, soot and ash, contact us at Khashan law for a free and confidential consultation.

California Wildfire Smoke Damage Claims

Wildfires can be disastrous, many people may lose their homes or offices in the fire. If not completely burned down, many homes or offices may suffer from smoke damage. Each type of loss or damage is treated differently by the insurance companies. Let us know what types of damages are covered:

• Total Loss: In case of complete destruction of a home or business, the victim can file for a total loss insurance claim. Ensure that a proper investigation of the loss is conducted, to calculate the exact amount of loss. Many times the owners may have to settle for a lower amount, as they have underinsured their property.

• Partial Loss: In case where the structure in not completely damaged, the insurance company may offer only to cover the partial loss of repairing the damaged portion of the structure. They may not offer total amount for rebuilding, which can be problematic because the soot, ash damage may not be evidently clear to the naked eye.
• Cleaning cost: In many instances the insurer only compensates for getting the areas affected by smoke damage to be cleaned. They do not compensate for replacing the damaged flooring or furniture.

Insurance companies may not award a victim of wildfires smoke damage the rightful compensation if the case is not represented well. An experienced wildfires damage lawyer will investigate the case properly. Submit the actual facts and the losses suffered by the owner.
They can fight a legal battle with the powerful insurance companies to attain the best and rightful compensation for their client.

We at Khashan Law have a strong team of experienced lawyers who have handled a number of wildfire damages cases in the recent times. Contact us at (951) 461-2387 for a free and confidential consultation.