Thinking of securing your home this year with homeowner’s insurance? Here are some things you need to know about public adjusters. Keep reading!
The loss to commercial property or personal home creates a very uncomfortable environment and may pose a lot of demand on your time. Decisions involving hundreds to millions of dollars are made quickly with a small margin for errors. The decision must be made very early on whether the process will be undertaken by a policyholder or whether a professional Public Adjuster should be brought in. Time has demonstrated that dealing in this unfamiliar area the result can cause a loss in valuable time and money. No matter large or small, commercial or residential, handling these claims involves a very structured process that when followed, ensures it is done properly and given the most effective chance of being honored and covered by your insurance carrier.
So What are Public Adjusters?
Public Adjusters analyze your policy to ensure the maximum claim coverage. They will inspect the property damage and estimate every loss with their own personalized systems. Notifying the insurance company of your losses and keeping track of having the proper documentation. Set all appointments with the insurer’s staff and provide estimates for property and contents within the property damage, if it is a non-residential loss of business accounting will be estimated as well. They will negotiate with the insurance company for a fair and acceptable settlement. Preparing all documents to obtain the settlement payment. Provide lists of trusted professionals for damage repair if required.
Analyze and Make a Plan
Once a Public adjuster becomes your authorized adjuster, they will first analyze your policy provisions and stipulations and how they relate to your loss. This in-depth process is used to determine the limits, coverage, exclusions from policy, and any other form that may apply to your loss. Investigating and planning for the loss/damage documentation and the presentation, understanding of the most recent court cases, decisions from the local Insurance Commissioner’s office, industry articles and opinions, and any other factors are likely to help map your home insurance claim.
Keeping Everything Under Contract
In many cases, printed policy forms are contradictory to the most current practices and procedures of insurance adjusters. Keep in mind that insurance policies are under a contract. While we do not discuss legal advice, given the process of insurance disputes, there have been instances where over the year court rulings affect the practice and process of adjusting property claims. Priding ourselves on staying current and compliant with issues that affect the profession remaining up to date and current with education requirements by current state law and regulators who hold our professional licenses.
After the full loss has been evaluated and documented, a schedule for losses is prepared and revisioned by our staff. The claim is segregated into separate categories which form various policy provisions. Thorough review of the documentation will be made with the client and, with the final approval, the property insurance claim is submitted to the insurer.
About Your Claim
When approved and submitted, the initial claim status follow-up on the policyholder’s behalf to speed up the insurance claim. Public Adjusters also make themselves available to answer any claim concerns and clarification on any information posted by the insurance company which sometimes use delay methods. While filing a homeowners insurance claim, it is common that a negotiation may arise regarding the claim, which may boil down to argue the value and authenticity of the claim components. A licensed Public Adjuster will gain the respect and trust of the insurance company representative. It is important to note no home insurance claim settlements happen without approval from the client who will be kept involved in all claim matters.
