(NO RECOVERY – NO FEE)

We handle major property damage claims related to wind, hale, fire, boilers, etc. We will assist with preparing invoices or estimates, and appraisals. With the help of our contractors we will review and compare all appraisal and estimates and will prepare the claim for settlement with the insurance company.

Property damage insurance claims my be made for stolen computers, equipment, artwork, vehicles, etc. and may include things like water damage from broken pipes or leaks, damage from accidental mishaps such as dropping equipment, vandalism, fire, etc. Damage to buildings and property from severe weather can result from heavy rainfall, high winds, lightning, dust storm, etc. Sometimes claims may be made for internal theft or conversion of money, property, or other assets by employees. In all instances we will help you with the repair or replacement of damaged or lost property.

Property damage is damage or destruction done to public or private property, caused either by a person who is not its owner or by natural phenomena. Property damage caused by persons is generally categorized by its cause: neglect (including oversight and human error), and intentional damage.
At the Law Offices of Tony M. Seyfi, we handle all types of property damage and we will make a claim with the insurance company involved. Here are a few examples of property damage that may lead to an insuance claim:

Water damage:
Water damage describes a large number of possible losses caused by water intruding where it will enable attack of a material or system by destructive processes such as rotting of wood, growth, rusting of steel, de-laminating of materials such as plywood , and many others.
The damage may be imperceptibly slow and minor such as water spots that could eventually mar a surface, or it may be instantaneous and catastrophic such as flooding. However fast it occurs, water damage is a very major contributor to loss of property.

Earthquake Damage:
Earthquake insurance has become a political issue in California, whose residents purchase more earthquake insurance than residents of any other state in the U.S. After the 1994 Northridge earthquake, nearly all insurance companies completely stopped writing homeowners' insurance policies altogether in the state, because under California law (the "mandatory offer law"), companies offering homeowners' insurance must also offer earthquake insurance. Eventually the legislature created a "mini policy" that could be sold by any insurer to comply with the mandatory offer law: only structural damage need be covered, with a 15% deductible. Claims on personal property losses and "loss of use" are limited.

The legislature also created a quasi-public (privately funded, publicly managed) agency called the CEA California Earthquake Authority. Membership in the CEA by insurers is voluntary and member companies satisfy the mandatory offer law by selling the CEA mini policy. Premiums are paid to the insurer, and then pooled in the CEA to cover claims from homeowners with a CEA policy from member insurers. The state of California specifically states that it does not back up CEA earthquake insurance, in the event that claims from a major earthquake were to drain all CEA funds, nor will it cover claims from non-CEA insurers if they were to become insolvent due to earthquake losses.