House Fire Claim Help with Travis Schulke

A family suffered a devastating house fire and was left confused and frustrated by the insurance claims process. Then we stepped in as their advocate to help them fully recover.

Hi everybody, Tamara Van Kray with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services of the Fox Cities, coming at you with another episode of Fun Fact Friday. Today I have with me Travis Shulke with Globe Midwest Adjusters International and, Travis, I heard that you recently helped a family who had an insurance claim. Can you tell me a little bit about that?

Yeah, so we reached out to a family that we knew had suffered from a bad fire and they were in mass chaos of confusion, frustration of what the insurance company was telling them. And so we met with them, sat down, explained what they actually had for coverages, what they were entitled to within their insurance policy that they paid a premium for for years, and this family exclusively for 31 years they paid their premium to the same company. And they had an offer on the table from the insurance company and they knew they couldn't get themselves back to where they were before the fire.

So we came in, put together an evaluation of the damages of what they were, there's something that's called a proof of loss that makes the insurance company, under pressure, to respond to that and got it settled at a very large settlement above and beyond. We generally increase claims on an average between 30 and 50 percent from what insurance companies want to pay. This family now is back in a new home, beautiful, less stressful for them, and they're in a better situation they were before the fire, which everyone should be after devastation.

Well, I personally experienced one of my properties being, well, had arson. My tenant started my house on fire and I was 18 at the time and I just trusted the insurance company was doing everything for me. I did have to negotiate some things for myself, but I guess I didn't realize that there was another option besides the adjuster that my insurance company was providing in looking out for somebody else who could actually be my advocate versus the insurance company's advocate. Would you say that's more like what you do?

Absolutely, yes. Our company is actually one of the largest and oldest companies in the Midwest, 95 years exclusively family-owned. Exactly what we do every day, all day.

So if you know somebody who's experienced a home loss of some sort or needs an insurance claim, help them know that they have another option besides just the adjuster their insurance company is providing. Travis Shulke will be happy to make sure that they get the best, fairest outcome and that's what they deserve, and will take the stress away for them.

So, Travis Shulke with Globe Midwest Adjusters International. Please stay tuned for another Fun Fact Friday.