What is a Public Adjuster?
A Public Adjuster is a Licensed & Bonded Claims Professional.
Public Adjusters work only for the policyholder. They are not controlled by the
insurance company with regard to settlement of your claim. A good Public
Adjuster is knowledgeable in Construction, Repair Cost, Policy Language, Coverage, Insurance Laws and
Regulations and a Skilled Negotiator. They
often obtain larger settlements, speed up the claims process and know the
information needed by your insurance company to prevent an insurance claim
bottleneck.
Most people take their car to an auto
mechanic or dealer for repairs, have their taxes prepared by a CPA or other tax
professional and call a Attorney when they have legal trouble.
Abraham Lincoln once said " A lawyer who represents himself has
a fool for a client." While that may sound harsh, the same can be said
about handling your insurance claim on your own. In the last 90 Days in
Florida alone there have been no less than 25 changes in In Insurance
laws, Regulation, Building Code and Claims Settlement Procedures.
Advantages of using a public adjuster
Public claims adjusters know the insurance process inside and out.
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Public Claims Adjusters know the insurance process inside and out, so they
can minimize the hassle that comes with collecting documents and evidence, and
then negotiating with the insurance company. The adjuster will file all your
pertinent paperwork with the insurance company, arrange for the inspections of
your damaged property if needed, and then haggle with the insurance company if
it refuses to pay your full claim.
A good adjuster will also help control what you say to your insurance
company. The adjuster will be forthright with your insurer, but won't divulge
any information that might damage your case. Remember, the adjuster is your
employee and will pursue your interests only.
Links to Publications
Recommending the use of Public Adjusters
The insurance company adjuster is employed by the insurance
company and that is where their loyalties are. They are paid by the insurance
company and they must strike a balance between your interests and those of their
company. A Public Adjuster works for a client's interests exclusively.
Yes, every Insurance claim is investigated by your Insurance Company &
Adjuster, that's the reason they do not settle most of their claims over the
telephone. The insurance company wants to see if all of the property you are
claiming is really damaged and if any policy/coverage exclusions would apply to
deny your claim. As
mentioned above, a Public Adjuster knows exactly what information to provide
your insurance company to prevent Claim Denials, Claims Delays and
Underpayments.
How long will it take ... ?
As long as it takes to achieve the desired results. We are committed in
satisfying you as our customer. Remember we work for you not the insurance
company, we are not beholden to the insurance company for anything. We are
conscious of the fact that if we do a good job you will likely refer us to your
family, friends and co-workers.
Am I guaranteed I will obtain a larger settlement by using your company
... ?
Almost always. The more time we spend to thoroughly complete your claim, the
larger your settlement will be. We meticulously Inspect, Photograph/Video
the loss site and document the damages. On extreme losses where all or most of
the contents are destroyed or lost, we will go over a variety of checklists with
you to help recap, on a room by room basis, what was in the property at the time
of the loss. Having a professional who is looking out for your best interests
and who understands the "tricks of the trade" is invaluable. For example, please
click the following link Success Stories
to view insurance claims where individuals have tried to handle their
claim on their own and the differences after we got involved.
State laws prohibits Public Adjusters in charging an hourly
fee in most cases. Typically we are paid a small percentage of the settlement
proceeds, on new claims this typically ranges from 8%-15% depending on the size
and complexity of you loss. Our fee's are based on a contingency basis so if we
do not recover a settlement there is no charge for our services.
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