Settling an insurance claim can be a difficult and lengthy process. Unless you work in the insurance industry, you’re probably not an expert. You may not understand the legal terms being thrown at you. You probably don’t have detailed knowledge of how the insurance industry works. For all of these reasons, dealing with an insurance company can be a very intimidating process.
Unfortunately, insurance companies likely know how much power they have over the average policyholder. Even the best-rated insurance companies have been caught abusing this power. After all, insurance companies are for-profit businesses. They’re not charities. They’re in the business of making money. The typical goal of an insurance company is simple: to pay the lowest amount on your claim that they are legally obligated to pay without getting in trouble.
Fortunately for you, insurance companies are legally required to act in good faith. Insurance companies cannot use unclear language on policies. Most states have laws requiring insurance contracts to be written in plain English – not ‘legalese’.
Without a public adjuster, it can be difficult for average policyholders to defend themselves. Public adjusters, also known as private insurance adjusters, represent policyholders like you. Their goal is to handle your insurance claim from start to finish. They want to expedite the claims process while securing the maximum compensation legally possible according to the terms of your insurance contract. Finding the best public adjuster near you can provide enormous benefits to your insurance claim process and outcome.
Our customers agree: the moment they hire a public adjuster, it feels like an enormous load has been taken off their shoulders.
If you need assistance with an insurance claim a licensed public adjuster can help.
The Benefits Of Hiring A Public Insurance Adjuster And Why You Should Hire One?
Your insurance company will send an adjuster to your house to handle your claim. This is the insurance company’s adjuster. The goal of the insurance company’s adjuster is to protect the company’s bottom line as he or she is a salaried employee or independent contractor of the insurance company.
A public adjuster or private adjuster works differently. Public adjusters represent you, the policyholder. They represent your bottom line. They are not hired by the insurance company. Most people don’t even realize that public insurance adjusters exist. When they do, people often wonder: “should I hire a public adjuster?”
Insurance policy language is quite confusing for the average home or business owner. With large insurance claims, the claim process is usually even more complicated, with more paperwork and typically more push back from the insurance company. A public insurance adjuster is a state-licensed insurance claim professional that can decipher policy language and affirm that you are receiving everything owed to you under the terms of your insurance policy when you have experienced a loss and are filing a claim.
Public adjusters are not beneficial in every insurance claim situation, but an honest, trustworthy, and experienced public adjuster will make this determination with a free initial consultation and be upfront about the benefits of using their services for your specific claim situation.
Each insurance claim can be quite complicated, but the benefits of hiring a public insurance adjuster are simple. By hiring a public adjuster, you can take a load off your shoulders immediately and get professional assistance with a complicated process in a time of need. A good public adjuster saves you time and stress. And, most importantly, a good public adjuster helps you obtain more money for the insurance claim in order to make the necessary repairs and recover.
If you need assistance with an insurance claim a licensed public adjuster can help.
When To Hire A Public Adjuster
Generally, it’s in your best interest to hire a public adjuster if there’s a disputed amount between you and your insurance company or if you feel you are being treated unfairly.
It may also be in your best interest to hire a public adjuster simply to handle your insurance claim and ensure you are fully reimbursed for your loss. Some people hire a public adjuster to avoid disputes throughout the process while ensuring they receive the compensation they deserve.
Public adjusters work on a contingency fee basis. The adjuster gets a cut of your final settlement with the insurance company – typically an amount between 10% to 15% that has been agreed upon beforehand.
This means that larger insurance claims are more enticing to public adjusters. The larger the disputed amount, the easier it will be to find a public adjuster to work on your case.
Ultimately, hiring a public adjuster is a personal choice. If you are filing a large claim and want to maximize your compensation, however, then it may help to know that studies have shown that insurance claims that involve public adjusters receive substantially higher settlements on average, when compared to those without a public adjuster involved.
How To Find And Hire A Public Adjuster
The public adjuster industry is a highly specialized field. Like any field, there are good and bad public adjusters.
Some states have no licensing requirements for public adjusters. Most states, however, have strict licensing requirements for public adjusters.
Finding and hiring the right public adjuster can be challenging for the average policyholder. You might not know what distinguishes a good public adjuster from a bad one. You might not know which licenses, certifications, and qualifications to look for. That’s a problem: after a disaster, public adjusters often descend on the affected region to speak with policyholders. They might go door-to-door in a flood-ravaged neighborhood making big promises to homeowners.
As a policyholder, it’s tough to know which public adjuster is right for you.
If you need assistance with an insurance claim we can help.
How Do Public Adjusters Work? Why Hire A Public Adjuster?
A public adjuster is a licensed professional who can handle your insurance claim from beginning to end. The adjuster knows how to deal with insurance companies and their adjusters, properly assess and document the damages, describe your claim, negotiate, and obtain a final fair settlement.
Adjusters will pore over every aspect of your claim and your insurance policy. If there’s a dispute, then the adjuster will look at your insurance contract to determine if the damages should have been covered.
Many public adjusters used to work for insurance companies before going independent. Today, these adjusters work for policyholders.
This experience gives the adjuster a unique insight into how insurance companies operate. They know the tricks insurance companies might pull. They know the corners insurance companies may cut. Most importantly – they know how to avoid these potential pitfalls and maximize your claim settlement.
Your insurance contract is an agreement between you and your insurance company. If the insurance company is failing to abide by the terms of that agreement, then the public adjuster will hold the insurance company accountable.
Often times, after a series of back and forth negotiations, the insurance company will offer a final settlement. You – the policyholder – have the final say on whether to accept the settlement from your insurance company.
Expert Tips For Hiring A Public Adjuster
Here are some important tips for the hiring process:
Licensing: All legitimate public adjusters are licensed. Some states have specific licensing boards, while other states do not. Be sure to check that your public adjuster has a valid license in your state.
Experience: Experience is important whether you’re hiring an electrician or a public adjuster. However, not all experience is equal. A public adjuster with ten years of experience dealing with commercial property damage insurance claims might not be the right choice for your home’s flood damage insurance claim. Ideally, you’ll find a public adjuster with unique experience dealing with your specific type of claim.
Transparent Fees: Good public adjusters aren’t cheap, and cheap public adjusters aren’t good. Fortunately, a good public adjuster is almost always worth his or her fee. You might pay a 20% fee for a good public adjuster but receive 100% more money from your insurance claim than you would receive from a bad public adjuster. Make sure your public adjuster outlines the fee structure upfront. If you have already started negotiations with your insurance company and received a settlement offer, then the public adjuster might only charge a fee on any additional money added to that settlement. In that case, it’s a win-win situation: you get more money, your public adjuster gets compensation for their work. Public adjuster fees can range anywhere from 10% to 25%. Typically, fees are charged on a contingency basis, which means you pay no fees until the final settlement.