Frequently Asked Questions about When to Hire a Public Adjuster

Public adjusters are usually the first line of defense when an insurance dispute arises. First, a claim is going to need to be scoped and valued. Typically an attorney will hire us to do that work if someone goes directly to them. Some statistics we’ve seen say that less that 2% of claims need the assistance of an attorney. So our advice is to save your money and let us try and mediate the claim first. If the loss needs legal representation, we are more than happy to refer you to any number of reputable attorneys who are specialists in first party property insurance claims. Legally, public adjusters are not allowed to accept any type of referral fee from an attorney so this is done as a courtesy and without any conflict of interest.

Give us a call or e-mail us. We will start the process which will include a no obligation meeting with you at the loss site to review your unique situation and the issues that are involved. Each loss is different and requires a hands-on approach in order to develop a plan for your recovery.

Yes, as long as you did not sign a full and final release. Some insurance company’s may require you to sign a proof of loss and in some case a partial proof of loss in order to write you a check for your loss. You should also be mindful of the statue of limitations that may apply to an insurance claim. We have found over the years that if you have a legitimate basis for additional claim damages and if documented through a professional public adjuster’s work product, insurance companies often will sit down with us and make a good faith attempt to try and resolve any outstanding differences.

If you are experiencing any of the following you might consider getting a professional involved.

• You don’t fee like your carrier is offering you a fair settlement or is undervaluing. items. The insurance company may want to see if you will accept a low ball offer
• Your insurance company is non-responsive and dragging out your claim.
• Your insurance company is blaming the damage on pre-existing conditions or using a technicality within the insurance policy to say your loss is not covered.
• You are getting the run around which often occurs in large catastrophic (CAT Losses) events such as hurricanes , large scale flooding and in community wide effected fire losses. Insurance companies are often overwhelmed and as these claims drag out we see multiple adjusters involved which often means the process has to start over from the beginning with each new adjuster.
• You do not understand the terms being used to explain the process. Knowing what these terms mean such as actual cash value, replacement cost , depreciation, etc can put you at a big disadvantage .
• Receiving a request/demand for a proof of loss can be a big red flag. It means that you now have the burden of coming up and documenting the value of your loss that must be filled in on the proof of loss form.
• Make sure you are dealing with a person from the insurance company that has the authority to make decisions on your claim. Ask them if they have adequate financial authority for the amounts of money that are due you.