After dealing with an insurance adjuster and having their claim denied or underpaid, many individuals are reluctant to deal with another adjuster. It’s essential that individuals understand that a public adjuster works for them and represents their interests – not the insurance company.
Insurance companies have legions of adjusters. One will be dispatched when a claim is made to assess the extent of the damage and set a dollar amount that it will require to replace items and repair damages.
Individuals must be careful of what they say to an insurance adjuster. It can be used against them by the insurer to deny a claim. One of the jobs of the insurance adjuster is to minimize the amount paid out in claims.
In some instances that can mean outright denial of the claim or underpayment. There are other methods that insurers may employ. They may indicate the damage and loss was misrepresented, that the damage isn’t a covered risk, specifically excluded on the policy, or the policy owner was negligent. A claim rejection may be issued on the basis of insufficient documentation or an unreported improvement.
When those and other problems arise, a public adjuster can help. Public adjusters don’t work for the insurance company. They work for the policyholder. They have the ability to negotiate on behalf of the homeowner to have the damage paid for or to receive a better settlement.
A public adjuster can help whenever there’s a denial of the claim or an underpayment. They can also assist when there’s a dispute over liability, failure of the insurer to investigate, or medical coverage for any injuries sustained during the home damage.
There’s an extensive range of reasons and tactics that insurers may use to minimize the amount they pay out to policyholders. A public adjuster will charge a percentage of the money they recover for clients, up to a maximum of 20 percent. If the governor declares an emergency event, that amount is reduced to 10 percent if individuals file a claim within the first year after the date of the loss.