Has fire or water damaged your home? When disaster strikes, you feel a million emotions and have thousands of concerns. The major one? How to get back to normal as quickly as possible.
Hiring a certified public adjuster can help make that happen. Chances are, if you’ve never been in this situation before, you haven’t spent much time thinking about what a public insurance adjuster does or if you actually need one.
Here are a few frequently asked questions:
Q. What is a public adjuster? What does he or she do?
A. A public adjuster is your advocate. He or she will:
- Itemize the total value of your loss, including building damages and personal property
- Examine your policy and review coverage
- Document the claim and negotiate with your insurance carrier on your behalf
- Settle your claim in a timely manner while achieving the maximum settlement
Q. Could I hire an attorney instead? Why hire a public adjuster?
A. Often attorneys end up hiring public adjusters to help them settle a claim because adjusters have expertise in valuing property losses accurately. Instead of going through an attorney, you can hire a public adjuster. It’s rare that you’ll need legal representation on most claims.
Q. What about the adjuster that my insurance company assigned to my claim? How is a public adjuster different?
A. Think about it: That adjuster was hired on behalf of your insurance company, so their main goal is to save the insurance company as much money as possible. A public adjuster, on the other hand, is hired on YOUR behalf, and ultimate goal is to get YOU as much money as possible. Who would you rather have settling your claim?
Q. How is a public adjuster compensated?
A. A public adjuster gets paid a percentage of whatever they recover for you — which gives them good reason to help you get as much as possible!
Q. Couldn’t I have the contractor who is repairing the damages to my property help me settle my insurance claim also?
A. Unfortunately, no. Contractors do a great job at repairing your property. That being said, they can’t help with the settlement process; it’s actually illegal and could result in felony charges. It’s called “Unauthorized Practice of Public Adjusting.” Public adjusters are the ones with the expertise – and legal sanction – to help you settle your claim.
Q. Okay, so could I have the public adjuster work as my contractor then?
A. Again, unfortunately, no. It’s against the law for a public adjuster to act as a contractor because it’s considered a conflict of interest.
Q. When is it too late to hire a public adjuster? I already received an offer from my insurance company, but I’m not happy with the amount.
A. If you haven’t already agreed to the settlement, we can help. You’re not alone – many homeowners attempt to handle their claim, and then realize it is a complicated and stressful process. Thankfully, public adjusters are experts who can help you get the money you deserve.
Q. But wait, I did agree to a settlement and got a check – but I’m still having issues from the damage done to my property. Is there anything I can do?
A. An adjuster could still help. Supplemental damage claims aren’t uncommon (for example, water damage is often found in the walls once demolition begins). That being said, it’s much easier to have an adjuster help you from the start. There are cases where you may have signed a release that lets the insurance company off the hook for any damages found after the initial claim is settled.
Q. Alright, I want to talk to a public adjuster. How do I find one?
A. Call Sabel Adjusters. Our team has close to 100 years of combined experience in the industry. Our group of experts includes building damage specialists, public adjusters, estimators, structural engineers, inventory specialists, and CPAs who understand the claims process. Public adjusters work for YOU to protect YOUR interests.