Most small businesses fail after a fire, Seltser can help owners recover

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Seltser & Goldstein Public Adjusters

When a commercial property suffers a fire, bringing in a certified public adjuster immediately isn’t optional—it’s the difference between recovery and collapse. For business owners in New England, understanding what a public adjuster does becomes critical in the first hours after a loss.

A public adjuster is a trained advocate who represents the policyholder—not the insurance company. Their role is to navigate the chaos of a fire loss, quantify damage accurately, and fight for a settlement that reflects the true cost of rebuilding. For small and midsize businesses, that expertise can be the deciding factor between reopening or shutting down for good.

The U.S. Small Business Administration has made the risk clear: fires are financially catastrophic. Some businesses move toward bankruptcy in as little as six hours after a fire, and more than 90% of disaster-impacted businesses fail within two years. FEMA adds another layer to the reality—40% never reopen at all, and of the ones that do, a quarter fail within the first 12 months.

This is the environment commercial property owners operate in. And it’s exactly why Seltser & Goldstein’s role matters.

Why businesses fail after a fire

The primary reasons are predictable but brutal:

Inventory, equipment, and personal property losses cripple operations.
Customers drift quickly when service is interrupted.
Revenue declines long before insurance money arrives.
Insurance policies often contain gaps that owners didn’t know existed.
High deductibles, restrictive coverage, and exclusions choke cash flow.

Most business owners assume their carrier will make them whole. They almost never do—at least not without a fight.

A public adjuster explains the policy, identifies coverage gaps, documents every layer of damage, and builds a claim that aligns with the business’s actual needs, not the carrier’s preferred payout.

Preparedness and documentation matter

Successful recovery hinges on documentation: operating procedures, structural details, equipment lists, and personnel records. Smoke and soot conditions—often overlooked by insurers—can be devastating. A public adjuster ensures nothing is missed.

Emergency planning is just as important. Businesses that survive understand their chain of command, have backup systems, and maintain continuity plans long before disaster strikes.

Why Seltser & Goldstein is the right call

When a commercial building burns, time is your enemy. Insurance deadlines, documentation requirements, and carrier demands pile up fast. For business owners trying to keep operations alive, handling a complex claim alone is a losing battle.

Seltser & Goldstein provides:

Expert fire-damage assessment
Strategic negotiation with insurance company adjusters
Full documentation of structural, mechanical, and contents losses
Accurate valuation of business interruption and lost income
A team that understands commercial policies inside and out

Business income loss is especially complex. Every insurance company uses its own formulas. If you don’t document losses the way they require, your claim gets minimized or denied. Seltser brings the technical expertise—including certified forensic accounting—to quantify lost revenue and prove it.

Why insurance companies underpay

Carriers deploy their own experts—engineers, estimators, and consultants. Their job is simple: minimize the loss. That’s why their numbers often fall short of what it actually takes to rebuild a business.

A public adjuster levels the playing field. They counter the carrier’s estimates with real data, real valuations, and a negotiation strategy designed to maximize recovery.

The reality for small businesses

Statistics don’t lie. Many small businesses will not survive a major fire without professional representation. A public adjuster protects the business financially while the owner stays focused on customers, employees, and rebuilding operations.

Seltser & Goldstein’s advantage

For decades, Seltser & Goldstein has been New England’s trusted commercial loss adjustment team. Their rapid-response capability, deep experience with large-loss fire claims, and hands-on approach give business owners the best chance of recovering fully and quickly.

Commercial property losses are complicated. Seltser makes them manageable.

If your business has suffered fire damage, contact Seltser & Goldstein immediately. Early involvement leads to stronger documentation, faster resolution, and significantly better financial outcomes.

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Seltser & Goldstein has a long history as a public adjusting Firm in New England. We made a commitment in 1935 when we opened our doors that our focus would be to educate and represent all our clients to the best of our ability.

SUCCESS STORIES

I had a home claim and Seltser and Goldstein came to me as a highly regarded referral for Insurance Adjusters. Jeff Maciorowski was a field rep who was on a call with me within hours after the accident to set up an appointment and helped us navigate the damage mitigation process and initiating claim. Bob Brown was the adjuster for my claim and he handled it professionally and efficiently. I felt like I had someone who would be fair to all parties involved and his candor and professionalism were above reproach. Seltser and Goldstein are lucky to have both gentlemen. I'll even plug the insurance company for making difficult situations easier to deal with by negotiating in good faith with Bob. 5 stars to Seltser and Goldstein and Jeff and Bob.

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David Haley

I met a representative from Seltser and Goldstein in February 23, 2020. That was the day my house was on fire. The Rep was very personable and treated my wife and I with dignity during this tragedy.We engaged their services and it was great from that day on. The Dan Davidson's and Paul Le were outstanding and made this tragedy workable. My wife and I are very happy with the work they did to make working with the Ins. Co a reality would recommend Seltser and Goldstein to any of my friends who are in need of a public adjuster. Thank you for your professional service.

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Leslie Lewis

I had the pleasure of working with Jeff Maciorowski, during a recent situation at my home that displaced my family for two months. When the event occurred, Jeff was very responsive to my call and was at my house immediately to consult us on what potential services and options would be available to my family. Jeff was instrumental during the process and managed many of the items required to place my family in alternate housing, while managing the service providers to address the repairs needed so we can eventually return home. It was great to have Jeff as a resource during this process and the entire S&G team was remarkable and always there for us with any questions or concerns we had. I would highly recommend the services provided by S&G, since everyone there was always professional and very responsive during a challenging time. I am not sure how we would've managed that process without the support from Jeff and the entire S&G team!

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Kerrie Coleman

After a tree fell on my house and my insurance company was giving me the run-around for /months/, I contacted Seltser & Goldstein for help. With great thanks to Mr. Robert Brown Jr and Mr. Robert Brown III, I am finally getting the funds to start repairing my home. They have helped to sort out a messy situation and make sure our claim will resolve to make sure -everything- is taken into consideration. I am so grateful for the more senior Mr. Brown's tenacity, and will absolutely recommend these folks to anyone wanting to make sure that every dollar is accounted for on an insurance claim. These folks also get a special grade for fantastic communication skills, never made me feel like I was in the dark. Just spectacular.

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Marcus deLemos

Seltser & Goldstein operates in the utmost professional manor and handle each claim as if it was their own family. They do what is right for the individual looking for assistance in navigating a claim through their insurance company. They are able to work on your behalf and settle the appropriate claim in a timely and efficient manor. Jeff Maciorowski was very helpful and knowledgeable in assisting me in a claim that resulted in a fair settlement for all parties. I highly recommend Jeff and Seltser & Goldstein to represent you in any claims that may arise.

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John Yannone

This company, specifically Paul Le provided phenomenal service, from the first phone call they were on point and explained the entire process and guided us through a very stressful situation. Due to a frozen pipe, our house flooded...within 10 hours Paul and his mitigation team were at our house assessing the damage and utilizing their water cleanup equipment. They never left us guessing or questioning our next step. Truly a FIVE STAR experience! We were lucky to have such a fine company in our corner.

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Chris Monfreda

I highly recommend Seltser & Goldstein Public Adjuster - in particular, kudos to Mr. Paul Le. As a homeowner experiencing for the first time, a fire damage to the property by one of the tenants, there were so many unknowns and anxieties related to the insurance & subsequent rehabilitation processes. Seeking the assistance from a Public Adjuster such as Seltser & Goldstein was definitely a good decision. What made it truly exceptional, was the unparalleled customer service provided by Mr. Paul Le in Seltser & Goldstein, which had given me assurances and good pieces of mind on several occasions, wading through and learning the labyrinth processes to get my property on track. Special Thanks also go to the team, especially TJ, Francisco, and Tanya, in easing me a smooth process out of such a complex situation, had I ended up to navigate the processes on my own.

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Ariya Akthakul

Hiring Seltser & Goldstein is the best decision I ever made. I tried to handle my claim on my own after a pipe burst and ruined a lot of my personal items in my home, but the insurance company was unreasonable. Kyrie handled my contents claim and she took the time to sit down and explain everything to me and the settlement she got me exceeded expectations.

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Catherine Fowler

I suffered a house fire in 2020. Going through something like this is absolutely awful, especially when you start thinking of the things you lost. Josh made me worry free after meeting with him and he literally took care of everything, even things you would never think of. He managed everything flawlessly. I can express enough how awesome this guy is. If you're looking for a public adjuster that's going to do his absolute best, look no further.

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John Baldi

My husband & i had to deal with our house having a major fire that destroyed most of the entire house. Gary & Kyrie were the most helpful insurance adjustors we could have ever asked for! They fought for US and explained everything the whole way through. Seriously went way way over expectation and 100% of the time responded immediately. Even when we were crazed and so stressed they did everything for us. They have been so supportive of getting our Contractor Cathy Crist everything she needs as well. I highly highly recommend Seltser & Goldstein- specifically Gary & Kyrie!!Lisa & Howard Kesselman.

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Lisa Kesselman

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