4 Claim Handling Tips for Investigating Appliance Fires

Posted by Veritas Administrators on Sep 13, 2017 10:28:32 AM
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It’s the accident most feared by homeowners: the household appliance fire. You could be working hard to make a nice dinner, and get distracted by a phone call or a knock on the door. The next thing you know, your kitchen is in flames. In cases of product defects, there have been reports of kitchen appliances starting up on their own and causing fires.

There are some steps in the claim handling process that we execute when investigating an appliance fire to ensure quick and thorough processing.

We see many types of claims involving home fires. The 2 leading causes of household fires are due to cooking equipment (i.e. microwave, stove top) and heating equipment (i.e. portable heater, furnace).

Sometimes you just need to keep it simple when investigating household appliance fires. The facts need to be gathered quickly and in a timely manner.

  • How was the appliance used?

  • Who owns the appliance?

  • How old is it?

  • Make sure to obtain the year, make and model number of the appliance to help with your background investigation.

The number #1 goal of the insurance investigation is to ascertain where the liability lies. Is the accident due to a mistake by the insured or was there something faulty with the appliance? Was the appliance in need of maintenance that was not provided?

Adjusters need to determine all the pieces of the puzzle before making a claim decision. This requires good investigating skills and interviewing techniques as well as a thorough inspection of the property and damages. Fire experts may be required to determine the cause or origin of the fire when all the pieces of the puzzle don’t add up, or if the investigation uncovers questions that cannot be answered.

Claim handlingSteps to Follow when Investigating an Appliance Fire

#1 Interview the Insured

Investigate and gather as much information right away from the insured and the landlord (if applicable).  Obtain statements as soon after the fire as possible to get the most detailed information. Focus on the timeline, determine who was present, the type of appliance and its use, if there was adequate supervision while the appliance was in use, and identify the owner of the appliance.  

#2 Inspect the Scene

We inspect the scene and obtain the official reports to determine the cause of the fire and the location of where it started. The sooner you’re on the scene, the better chance to get all the evidence before it’s removed. Be sure the appliance isn’t disposed of before you get the chance to inspect it.

#3 Analyze the Facts

We have seen many different causes for stove top fires. Determine if the facts presented match the scene of the fire.

  • If the insured said that they had a grease fire, is this evident on the stove top?

  • We’ve seen cases where the insured had multiple pots on the stove, walked by and bumped the stove and one of the pans spilled causing a fire.

  • Many people still use the stove top to store items in the kitchen, but forget to remove the items before turning it on. Check for items on top that perhaps started the fire.

When you go to the scene, photographs of the stove are crucial. Be sure to get pictures of the stove dials. In some cases, you will see that the stove they was left in the “on” position. Sometimes the homeowners or renters will forget to supply some of the information, thinking it’s not relevant. If you feel there is missing information, continue to interview those involved until you are confident that you have all the facts.

The type of oven is crucial as well. We investigated an oven fire where the broiler was beneath the oven.  The new and young renter was not familiar with this type of gas oven. The renter decided the broiler, which looked like a drawer, would be a great place to store a wooden cutting board. The cutting board caught on fire while the insured was preheating the oven for dinner.

#4 Determine Liability

Should there be a question as to liability, we get the help of a Cause and Origin expert to inspect the scene. The Federal Government has a central website that reports on recalls of all kinds. Use this website to determine if the appliance has ever had a recall. This will help in determining if the manufacturer has any responsibility in the accident. Don’t make the common mistake of assuming the fire was due to the insured’s negligence. There are plenty of recalls for appliances for fire hazards. Consumer Reports reported in 2009 that about half of appliance fires could be blamed on human mistakes (i.e., unattended cooking), or natural causes (i.e., storms or animals). The rest were due to defective appliances. 

Conclusion

When it comes to appliance fires, research is key. Do your research on safety recalls. Analyze and identify the cause of the fire. Don’t assume it’s human error. Most safety standards for appliances are voluntary, and at times, are not adequately protecting the consumer. On top of that, many of the appliances are not manufactured in the US, where the standards are much higher than other countries. Therefore, a thorough investigation is necessary to determine the cause of the fire and where the liability belongs.

claim handling

Topics: General Liability

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