By Washington state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler
Fire investigators recently reached out to my office
regarding aggressive solicitors selling mitigation and repair services to
confused and overwhelmed property owners immediately after a fire. Many
Washingtonians aren’t aware that my office has staff dedicated to helping
consumers resolve disputes with their insurance companies and answer questions
about insurance.
In response to our conversations with fire investigators, we
developed a handout for victims of house fires https://www.insurance.wa.gov/sites/default/files/documents/insurance-claim-fire.pdf
It covers how to start an insurance claim, how to avoid being the victim of a
scam, and other pointers about what to do and what not to do. It looks great
printed in black & white and may be helpful for the fire victims you
interact with. There is more information for consumers, including how to start
the claims process and what to do if you have trouble with your insurance
company, on our website at https://www.insurance.wa.gov.
Thanks for the hard work you do to keep citizens safe and
for helping us reach out to people who are looking for guidance in recovering
from a fire.