A look into the work of public adjusters and why you may consider getting them.
It is not only a very good idea to get insurance for your home, rather it has become a legal necessity. When it comes to claiming your insurance, public adjusters can be of real help. These are professionals who can basically be termed as independent insurance professionals whom policyholders employ to settle an insurance claim. Insurance companies normally provide the client with an adjuster which does not cost any extra money. Public adjusters on the other hand do not have any connections with the insurance company. These adjusters will usually charge a fee of 15% when they are employed to settle an insurance claim. They will come in handy for settlements but it is important to realise that they cannot bring you more money than the amount that is owed to you under the insurance policy.
The work of public adjusters is not known by many homeowners and they remain an under utilised profession. Many homeowners cannot distinguish between a public adjuster and the adjuster provided by the insurance company themselves. They think the two are basically the same. The scenario where the work of public adjusters become very important is when homeowners have to settle a large claim with their insurance company. In the case of a particularly large claim, homeowners should employ a public adjuster to work on their behalf. This will greatly assist in making sure that you get the full coverage that is owed to you by the insurance company.
In the case where you do decide to hire a public defender, you should try to hire and engage them into the case as early as possible. These are people who are trained at dealing with insurance companies and they would do a much better job if they speak to the adjustors of the insurance company by themselves.
Knowing which public adjuster to hire for your particular case may be difficult. The process of choosing one should include thorough vetting of their reputation in the industry. The profession itself has gotten some bad press because of a few opportunist public adjusters who basically operate on the “ambulance chaser” philosophy. These are people who show up at a disaster site and try to make as much money as possible from the homeowners. Watch out for this kind of adjusters and make sure the one you are hiring has a decent reputation within the industry.
Public Adjuster vs Insurance Adjusters
The main difference between these two types of adjusters is that one works on behalf of the homeowner and the other works on behalf of the insurance company. The latter one has vested interest in saving his employer’s money. That basically is their job description. The public adjuster on the other hand has the exact opposite vested interest. Their interest aligns with the client’s claim interest, i.e. the homeowner.
The two types of adjusters also have a lot of similar overlapping work. Both are hired primarily to do a damage assessment. They both have to write proposals based on their individual damage assessment.
The Benefits of Hiring a Public Adjuster
Whenever you need to come to an agreement with your insurance company for any claims that you have made, it is an excellent idea to hire a public adjuster at that time. They will come in especially handy if you feel the insurance company is skimping on the amount you have claimed. Some notable benefits of hiring a public adjuster include.
- Expertise in the field
Dealing with insurance companies can feel taxing. There is a lot of information to be savvy about. Thankfully, you can hire people who are experts in this field, the public adjusters. These adjusters get their license and certification after going through intense training. Most states also have strict rules when giving out licenses. Anyone cannot one day just decide to become a public adjuster. Most states require public adjuster to be fingerprinted, bonded and also pass a background check. These are people who have unparalleled knowledge in this particular field which may help you in getting the maximum coverage when making the claim.
- They work for you
When you have just suffered a catastrophe, the process of making the claim can be very taxing on you. These are added stress inducing factors that we can all do without. Not only do you have to deal with the damage but you also have to factor in future repairs.
Hiring a public adjuster can resolve a lot of issues and can give the peace of mind that you may be losing after a catastrophe you have just experienced. These professionals will handle all of the thinking to do when dealing with insurance companies. For large damage causing events, their expert knowledge will also come in handy when trying to get the maximum benefit you are entitled to by the law.
- Making sure you get what is owed to you
Whenever you make a sizable claim, be wary that you may not be properly equipped to assess the damage thoroughly. This is a case which particularly demands hiring a public adjuster. Their expertise in the field gives them the knowledge required to get you the maximum benefit from the insurance company. They are able to pick up on things that you may not even be privy of.
- More Settlement Money
Public adjusters are properly suited in helping you make the right decisions when making the claim. They are better equipped to negotiate on your behalf and help get you the proper settlement amount.
Insurance companies and their adjusters may be hard to deal with on your own. If you do not have in-depth knowledge of damage assessment and very good negotiating skills, you may miss out on what is legally owed to you. This is where public adjusters come in. With their expertise and good negotiation skills, they are ideally suited to helping you deal with insurance companies.
