DAVENPORT, Iowa – Dozens of people are recovering from a fire that ripped through Eagle’s Crest Apartments in Davenport early morning on Friday, September 9, 2016.
One of those people is Jacob Tegeler, who moved to the apartment complex in August.
“It's my first month living on my own. Welcome to the real world,” says Jacob.
Jacob recently graduated from St. Ambrose and was excited to be living alone.
“We helped him move and helped him buy some new things for the apartment,” says Jacob’s mother, Joy Tegeler.
Joy also helped her son buy a renter's insurance policy. The apartments require insurance but the Tegeler’s never thought they’d need it, until now.
“We kept all the receipts of things he bought when he moved in and kept detailed records and I think that's really going to pay off,” added Joy.
Unforeseeable loss is something insurance companies see every day.
“Everything from toilets overflowing from the apartment above to fires like you're seeing now,” says Allstate Officer Manager, Chet Cox.
Situations like Friday’s fire are why Cox stresses the importance of renter's insurance.
“People don't usually think of it until they need it. It's the type of thing you buy and never want to have to use,” added Cox.
Joy says she is thankful for insurance and not having it would only add to the damage.
“You really need to have it. This is a prime example of you never think it's going to happen to you and here we stand,” says Joy.
“I'm glad everything is covered. I'm pretty fortunate,” says Jacob.
Depending on the company, renter's insurance can cost less than $100 a year.
“It's pretty much a no brainer. It's very cheap, especially if you combine it with your auto insurance. The discount basically pays for itself,” says Cox.