Wildfire Smoke Claims Require Proof | Property Insurance Coverage Law Blog

What happened

It should identify the access points, the contractor making the openings, the experts attending, the sampling methods, photographic documentation, split samples if appropriate, chain-of-custody requirements, preservation of removed material, and responsibility for temporary and permanent repairs. It means the restoration professionals, first insurance company adjusters on scene, industrial hygienists, public adjusters, and insurer claims managers should communicate immediately about how necessary mitigation and evidence preservation will occur together. The claim investigation should preserve available fire-perimeter maps, incident reports, wind and weather data, air-quality information, satellite plume imagery, evacuation timelines, photographs, videos, HVAC settings, filter conditions, and witness accounts.

Key details

• It means the restoration professionals, first insurance company adjusters on scene, industrial hygienists, public adjusters, and insurer claims managers should communicate immediately about how necessary mitigation and evidence preservation will occur together.
• The claim investigation should preserve available fire-perimeter maps, incident reports, wind and weather data, air-quality information, satellite plume imagery, evacuation timelines, photographs, videos, HVAC settings, filter conditions, and witness accounts.
• If I were representing an insurance company that truly believes in its obligation to treat policyholders in good faith, I would say that the claim file should be prepared with the expectation that an unfamiliar judge may someday read it.

Why it matters to restoration

This belongs on an operator’s radar because insurance behavior sets the rules for documentation, scope disputes, cash flow and customer expectations. If the article points to a carrier, court or coverage trend, the practical question is what proof your next file needs before the argument starts.

What to check next

Check whether your estimates, photos, notes and customer updates would survive the same dispute described in the article.

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