If you have had a fire at your home or an auto accident, you may be able to take a casualty loss deduction on your taxes. Casualty losses apply to personal property – if the property is completely destroyed the loss is the adjusted basis in the property less insurance reimbursement; if the property is only partially destroyed then the loss is the lesser of adjusted basis of property or loss of fair market value of property less insurance reimbursement. The loss is taken as an itemized deduction and has to be reduced by $100 per casualty and then 10% of your adjusted gross income. You also have to file form 4684. If you can get through all that, you have a casulaty loss; of course you have to be able to use schedule A, or you have to still take the standard deduction and lose any additional loss.
Here is a link to the IRS rules on casualty losses:
http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc515.html