What Are Public Adjusters?

Public adjusters are the only property loss professionals who work on behalf of policy holders. Individuals and businesses hire public insurance adjusters when they need assistance initially filing a claim or feel a claim amount offered by an insurance company is incorrect.

Claims for flood, fire, smoke, wind and hurricane damage, as well damage due to other perils, can be filed and negotiated by public adjusters. Property losses might also result in other types of losses, such as business income, which public adjusters can evaluate.

Public adjusters are experts in the details and language of insurance policies, as well as filing and adjusting claims. They commonly have prior experience in construction, and other related fields, and use sophisticated software to undergo an independent evaluation of a client’s property loss. Public adjusters aren’t just better equipped than the average policyholder to estimate the costs incurred from a property loss — they know exactly how to log and submit initial and supplemental claims and do this for a policyholder.

When damage, such as mold infestation or flooding, occurs in a home, the owner must call their insurance company to report the claim. Then the insurance company will create a claim, and an adjuster representing the company will go to the home to investigate the loss and, if deemed necessary, offer a settlement.

Keep in mind that a company adjuster or ‘Staff adjuster‘ works directly for your insurance company. The company insurance adjuster does everything they can to try and pay out as little as possible for your claim, preserving the company’s bottom line.

When you suffer a property loss, you don’t want to have an adjuster who only works for the insurance company. You need an adjuster who works for you. As a policyholder, you should have equal representation. Bringing in a public adjuster early in the process to handle the matter can provide you a better opportunity at a fair settlement for their losses.

A public adjuster works directly for you, the policy owner. Many homeowners hire a public adjuster to document, expedite a claim, and engage the insurance company directly on behalf of the policy owner. Through a public insurance adjuster, the insured can often recover a higher settlement than they would otherwise have been awarded, allowing for a faster and more complete restoration of the damage.

It just makes sense to use a public adjuster. You won’t need to handle the claim, and because the recoveries are generally more than you would recover yourself, having an adjuster on your side can do more than pay for itself.

There are a number of different reasons you’d want to hire a public adjuster, but it really comes down to a few different points :

1. Easy

As someone already mentioned, hiring a public adjuster can save you considerable amounts of time, effort, and frustration because they will handle all of the back and forth with the insurance company.

2. Experience– Public Adjusters have years of experience in detailing out insurance damage claims, understanding the true scope of damage, and how to deal with insurance companies

3. Maximize your Settlement- You signed a contract with your insurance company. That contract guarantees coverage for certain damages. Their goal is to pay you the lowest amount they’re legally required to pay. A public adjuster will fight tooth-and-nail to achieve a higher settlement, helping you maximize your payout. In most cases, a public insurance adjuster can win a settlement that’s much higher than the payout initially offered by your insurance company.

4. They Get Paid on a Contingency Basis– Public adjusters aren’t like lawyers. They don’t charge high hourly rates or large upfront retainer fees. Instead. Public adjusters get paid on a contingency basis. That means, you won’t pay your public adjuster anything until you accept your final settlement from your insurance company.

5. Take a Load Off Your Shoulders-Whether you’re dealing with flooding, storm damage, tornado damage, or any other devastating disaster, times can be stressful in the days after a disaster. The last thing you want to do is negotiate with your insurance company. A public adjuster can negotiate with your insurance company on your behalf while you get your life back together. You can take a load off your shoulders and focus on what’s important.

After discussing the benefits of hiring one, here are some Reasons not to hire a public adjuster:

• Time-Claims filed by a public adjuster can be more involved and therefore can take more time to get paid. Typically insurance companies will “drag their feet” when it comes to paying claims, but having a public adjuster will increase the complexity of your claim from the insurance companies perspective.
• Fee. While most public adjusting firms offer free inspections for insurance claims, they can take a hefty percentage of your insurance payment. Keep in mind each state will have different laws regulating the percentages adjusters can charge but as with any legal contract-read the fine print.

If you are in need to hire a public adjuster, put in mind that not all of them will get you best results, so here are some tips on how to pick the right public adjuster for you:

1. States have different licensing requirements for public adjusters. Most states, require public adjusters to be licensed. For example a public adjuster miami is just able to work in Miami and surrounding areas.
2. Check into the public adjuster’s reputation online and offline. Search Google for reviews and testimonials and ask for references of past clients that you can contact.
3. Of course, all good public adjusters have experience. The best public adjusters, however, have local experience dealing with claims just like yours.
4. Most legitimate public adjusters have a website. If the firm or the public adjuster does not offer this or any other marketing materials to check his validity, then that may be a red flag indicating that he is not legitimate. try to call their chatline