Some people just go too far. Others go so far they have no choice but to watch everything fall apart while they stick to their guns. In our most recent trial victory, the insured was in that position.  A fire occurred in April of 2009 in a small town in Northern Michigan. At the time of the fire the insured was at the end of her financial rope. She had no job, and no public assistance. Her most recent settlement on an insurance claim had completely run out. Her son and his 3 children just moved in - but couldn't pay rent. And the house had to be reconfigured to accommodate everyone living there. Then on a night when no one was home and the dogs were tied up out back (at 11:00 p.m. in a 40° rain) a fire broke out in a windowless room in the basement.

Information coming soon!

In April 2009, a tragic house fire in Kalamazoo appeared to be started from a child playing with matches.  Sometimes, whether or not there is coverage, begins with a question as simple as “Did the homeowner live there?”  And in this case, he did not.

Fires that are classified “undetermined” by an expert, in some cases, are intentionally caused.  And even though an insurance company may also have strong indications that an insured was involved in the setting of a fire, it may not have enough evidence to support a denial.  In the case of a fire that took place in a home in Northern Michigan, those were the issues that the insurance company faced when it ultimately made the decision to release the claim for payment.  A couple of weeks later, however, we got a telephone call from a neighbor claiming the insured confessed to starting the fire and had been discussing it for years.