Public Adjusting

PROS

ADVOCATE

Public adjusters are your third-party source when it comes to claims adjusting. You don’t need the stress of your insurance company always asking you for things and to send over documents you don’t know about or have no idea about, that would cause you a lot more stress than needed. If you reach out to an adjuster, they won’t stress you out. They will sit you down and explain to you on why your insurance company is asking for these things and they will be the one to sit with your insurance company on handling the matters of your claim.

KNOWLEDGEABLE

Adjusters will all the more acquaint you with the necessary information you need to know about what is and isn’t on your policy. They are trained and licensed to do these things so that they can provide excellent services to their clients. Adjusters are very well-rounded in what they do and the types of claims they handle. So, don’t worry, ask them all the questions you need, and they will provide you with notable answers.

INCREASED SETTLEMENT

Public adjusters in Florida alone has gotten a 747% increase in settlement claims from a policyholder’s first initial claim, according to Florida’s Office of Program Policy Analysis & Government Accountability (OPPAGA). This goes to show that hiring a public adjuster will help you get the best settlement you can get and they will work hard so that you are not left in the dust trying to come up with a financial solution to the damages made to your property.

CONS

TIME

Depending upon your claim(s), it can take some time before you actually get a check in hand. But this just goes to show that public adjusters take their in time in reviewing your case so that they are aware of the damages and negotiate it to your insurance company. But if things go sideways, your claim can go to court, which means that it will delay your settlement claims. This is only if the insurance company doesn’t comply or if there are other issues that need to be solve.

PAYMENT

You should already know by now that, adjusters will not get paid until you get paid. This takes awhile to process because they have to review the claim and get ahold of your insurance company. They work hand in hand with insurance companies, but they make sure that they’re prioritizing you so that you can get you the best claim settlement that you need. In fact, this encourages them because the more you get, the more adjusters get. It’s a solution where everyone benefits.

CRITICAL DAMAGES ONLY

Another con for hiring a public adjuster is that some only take damages that are extensive and catastrophic. That is why it is best to do your research on a public adjuster before you decide to hire one.  If your claim isn’t as big, you can still hire a public adjuster, but you will expect just a little bit of monetary settlement than what you anticipated. But don’t worry, because they will still help you despite the damages made to your home are small.

Public adjusters are involved in your insurance claims when you are not satisfied with the monetary compensation that you want or needed or it could even just be if you don’t understand your policy. They are there for you even if it’s a small or big issue. Sometimes, they will reach out to you especially after a natural disaster, but it is advised that you should conduct your own research and find the best public adjuster for you. Some of the things you can look for in a public adjuster are:

1. LICENSING. You want an adjuster with an active public adjusting license because that’s how you know they are legitimate in their business and in what they do. Find out if their license is active through the Department of Insurance, if not, ask for their license.
2. ORGANIZATIONS. This shows that they are hardworking and are involved with other organizations that can help them be better public adjusters. Those who are involved and hardworking are the ones who will do everything they can to grow in their field.
3. REVIEWING POLICY. A reputable public adjuster will sit you down and look thoroughly through your policy before making decisions and promises to settle your claims. It is important to take notice of this because you don’t want to be hiring an adjuster who gives you false hope.
4. NECESSARY FEES. A public adjuster is recommended to disclose their fees in a written contract in many states. Find out if your state is obligated to do this because if you are, they are not allowed to go over 10% of your settlement claim.
5. LOOK AT THEIR WEBSITE. Another good indicator for finding a top notch public adjuster is to look at their website. You get the sense of who they are, what kind of claims they deal with and visit their reviews section. The reviews section help you determine the kind of business and person they are. It is helpful in the sense that you can tell the kind of person they are because you want to be working with someone who is nice, respectable, professional and values your time.
6. THIRD-PARTY EXPERIENCE. If you know someone who has had their fair share hiring a public adjuster, speak to them. Talking to them may help you decide on choosing the right and best public adjuster. In fact, they may even refer you to their public adjuster and can tell you the experiences they have had with them.
7. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. If you’ve found the one but want to make sure, contact them and ask them questions like, “how long you have been a public adjuster?” or “what are your experiences in the type of claim that I have?”

Choosing a public adjuster is difficult because you want what’s best for yourself and that is all that matters. Be sure to take into account of all the things mentioned because that is what will pave you to the road of a great public adjuster!

Consumer Guide to Public Adjusters by Serafin Martinez on Scribd

References

NCDOI