Steven B. Pollack, attorney

Why Hire an Insurance Lawyer?

Fire, smoke, and water can quickly destroy your personal property causing large financial damage. Usually though, you have homeowner insurance, and after making an insurance claim are entitled to the proceeds that will help get you back on your feet and begin to rebuild your life. Mistakes made in the process are costly and can lead to denial or underpayment of insurance claims. As an experienced insurance lawyer I can help by representing you in making your insurance claim – and significantly increase the likelihood of full recovery of the money that is owed under the policy.

I have been handling insurance claims for many years and know the system – all the way from the initial events through, if needed, representation in the courtroom. It is this full service that I provide that ensures that you are represented in the best possible way, due to the fact that we hold the insurer to its obligations over the course of the insurance claim. By representing you early in the process I learn all the facts surrounding the loss during presentation of the sworn statement in proof of loss. I am then able to quickly shift to filing suit in the event of a denied claim.

But what are the advantages of hiring insurance lawyers for insurance claims? Here is a brief list…

* Unlike a public adjuster, insurance lawyers have the specific knowledge of the legal system that is required to make it work for you. This means that an insurance lawyer is capable of obtaining more money from the insurance companies through a combination of contract interpretation, case law research, and legal experience. Unlike a public adjuster, an insurance lawyer can fight insurance claims all the way through to the courtroom. I have an excellent track record in this area and am proud to be known as one of the few Illinois attorneys with a legal practice focusing almost exclusively on this very particular area of law.

* I have experienced the loss you are feeling and the sense of vulnerability you have towards the insurance company. I had a fire and had to fight to get my own insurance claim paid. My insurer, a well-known company, did not act honorably and in fact acted in bad faith according to the terms of the insurance policy. This angered me so much that it is one of the reasons I decided to become an insurance lawyer, to help others correct the imbalance of power between the policyholder and insurance company.

* When retained early in the process my fee is usually 10% and contingent on the claim being successful, which means that should your claim be denied I would not earn a fee. If retained later when problems have already arisen or the claim has been denied, then litigation becomes more likely and my fee can be 40%, sometimes less but with an upfront retainer, depending on the circumstances. Hiring an insurance lawyer early and avoiding a denied claim is always preferable.

* I will walk with my clients through every single facet of the case, from an event like an examination under oath, to presentation of the sworn statement in proof of loss, all the way through how to address the judge in court if it comes to that.

In essence, when it comes to needing an insurance lawyer for property damage, I am one of the few who has this narrow focus.

In addition to fire, I also handle various other areas of insurance claims.

Some of the other types of insurance law that I deal with include:

Sewer backup
Hail damage
Loss of property during transportation
Wind damage

As you can probably see, all of these different facets of insurance have their own separate identities, but they all deal with essentially the same principles. That is why my credentials as an insurance lawyer are so important – I understand the ins and outs of the insurance claims process.

*Disclaimer: We are not creating an attorney/client relationship by you submitting this information. This relationship will only arise through an engagement letter signed by both of us.

As responsible and law abiding home or business owners, we are all encouraged to do the right thing and take out insurance policies to cover all eventualities. These providers are quick to tout for our hard earned dollar and give assurances, which at the time afford us piece of mind; but in reality, many of these commitments are not actually what they appear to be at face value. Small print gets a bad press for a good reason, there is very often some hidden get out clause, written in 'insurance language', that should the need arise for a claim to be submitted, the insurer will refer to and very possibly twist to their own advantage and adjust the policy accordingly.

As a trained attorney, I am here to act for the good folk of Illinois and ensure that they are not subject to the bully boy tactics which are often displayed by a public adjuster, who may have ulterior motives to try and get a client to settle for less than their entitlement. My legal background helps me understand the finer points of a policies and contracts, and as a consequence, puts me in a strong position to fight a clients corner and recover the insurance pay-outs that they have been paying expensive premiums for.

My specialized subject is fire claims, so you could describe me as a fire claims lawyer, but I am more of a fire claims adjuster, who offers a sensible alternative to a public adjuster and my fees will not cost any more than theirs. My vast experience in litigation allows me to look after a customers best interests, whilst keeping an eye on the finances; indeed my charges are just 10% of any insurance recovery – there is no fee for non recoverable outcomes.

By appointing myself from the onset, I can fully understand the case and my presence also has an effect on the attitude of the Insurance company, who might otherwise take liberties against susceptible members of the public. Having a fire claim lawyer at your side, allows some of the burden to be eased from the claimants shoulders and lends some stability into a situation, that will undoubtedly be a time of great stress. Many fire claims result in the need to move out of the property and into temporary accommodation, so my appointment can offer some respite, and lets a client concentrate on family matters.

Why would you not just accept a public adjuster? It is probably the easiest option after all and there should be no apparent reason to suspect that anything but the sincerity and integrity that they display at their first introduction, is the norm. Unfortunately, this I'm afraid will not be the true reason for them turning up out of the blue. Insurance companies do not like to pay – that is fact, and if they have to pay then they want it to be as little as possible. So with a fire claim, a public adjuster will often prey on the vulnerability of a claimant and employ some aggressive questioning and intimidatory behavior, in the hope that scare tactics will see a settlement concluded for far less than it should be.

As a fire claim lawyer, I have something called a fiduciary duty – meaning I am bound to put your interests before those of my own; but as a decent law abiding citizen myself, I would morally undertake such practice anyway. The public adjuster however, is under no such obligation and might even have his own interests at heart if, for example, he has some involvement with a construction company, who may act on behalf of the insurers. That may raise an eyebrow of any decent, honest individual, but I'm afraid these practices to occur, and quite often.

A fire claim, submitted in all innocence and in the perfect rights of a homeowner, can actually turn into a state of affairs that sees the claimant being subjected to what sometimes will feel like harassment and interrogation. Under Illinois state law, whilst these inquiries are permitted, they have to be carried out in the correct manner and as the appointed fire claim lawyer, I will ensure that this is adhered to. There are many reports where an unscrupulous public adjuster has acted in an unethical way, but escaped unpunished due to scaremonger tactics. With the assistance of a qualified fire claim lawyer, none of this bad practice will ever take place.

I am Steven B Pollack and I'm here to protect all your rights and see that honesty prevails. A fire claim is something nobody ever wants to have to become involve with, but if such an eventuality should happen, then my professional assistance can make a difficult period run as smoothly as possible. My book 'After the Fire' is a free publication to aid claimants with the first two critical months after submitting a claim and can be ordered here at Fireclaimlaw.com, where you will also find a consultation form, from which I'll respond to immediately, with my initial thoughts as to what my involvement ought to be. My contact number is (847) 436-9566 – in an idea world you'll never need to get in touch, but should you need me, please do not hesitate, I'm always available.