Why It’s Important to Hire A Public Adjuster for Your Insurance Claims

Public adjusters are people who work to obtain full and fair insurance settlements for their clients, and they are paid a certain percentage of the settlements that their clients get. Public insurance adjusters have no ties to insurance companies, and their only loyalties are to their own clients.

You can learn more about public adjusters and how they carry out their work by visiting the website of the National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters.

However, we will also provide you with a quick overview of how public adjusters operate and how they can help you get a favorable settlement from your insurance carrier. So if you’re thinking about hiring a public insurance adjuster then here’s what you should know.

What is a Public Adjuster?

Public adjusters are experts in the insurance industry who work to help their clients get favorable settlements from their insurance providers. Their task involves gathering information, negotiating with their clients’ insurance carrier, presenting information and protecting their clients from various ‘claim games.’

It’s also worth mentioning that public adjusters don’t always have insurance backgrounds, though many of them do have business expertise. Despite their varied skills, however, all public adjusters are trained to help their clients get the best settlements from their insurance adjusters as well as offer valuable advice and estimates to their clients, thereby allowing them to better understand their situation and what their final settlement should be.

So if you’re currently filing a claim then you should hire a public adjuster to help you manage things. Not only can they help you get the best settlement, they can also help you keep your insurance company honest.

How Do Public Adjusters Process Different Claims?

First, the public adjuster goes to their client’s property to inspect the damages sustained by their property, and to advise them on the best course of action to take. Depending on the nature of the problem, the adjuster may recommend a restoration company to repair and restore their client’s damaged property.

For example, if their client’s home was recently flooded, they may hire the services of a water restoration company. On the other hand, if the damages were caused by vandalism then they may hire someone who specializes in graffiti removal or minor repair services. They will also make arrangements for the vendors to be paid once the claim has been settled.

Next, the public adjuster will then contact their insurance carrier and notify them about their client’s losses. They will then arrange a meeting to discuss the nature of the problem and the cost of repairs.

During the meeting, the public adjuster will provide their client’s insurance carrier with all of their findings in order to build up their client’s claim.

Finally, the public adjuster will negotiate with their client’s insurance carrier on their behalf. They will attempt to get the best settlement for their client’s claim, and once that’s finished, they will tell their client about the results of their work.

Protection From ‘Claim Games’

Aside from helping you file your claim and negotiating with your insurance carrier, your public adjuster can also protect you from ‘claim games.’ Claim games are activities performed by some insurance companies to delay or even deny claim payments to their clients.

If you’re not familiar with how the insurance industry works then you are vulnerable to such claim games and you may not even be aware of it. The good news is that your public adjuster can protect you from such claim games.

Here are several common examples of ‘claim games.’

– Taking statements from claimants while they are in a state of pain or emotional distress.

– Requesting claimants to sign authorization forms which require them to provide their personal information.

– Telling claimants that they don’t need the services of a legal representative or a public adjuster.

– Settling a claim even though most of the information pertaining to the accident or injury is still being processed.

– Misrepresentation of certain insurance policy provisions.

– Concealing information about certain insurance policy provisions.

– Providing inaccurate information about insurance law.

– Providing inaccurate interpretations of all existing facts.

– Requesting duplicate information

– Taking advantage of a claimant’s sensitive or compromised situation to get an unfair settlement.

– Failure to investigate the merits of a particular claim.

– Concealing important information from their clients

– And any tactic where insurance carriers/companies use their power and position to take advantage of their claimants’ vulnerabilities.

These claim games are not always illegal but most of them are certainly unethical. So unless you have a public adjuster helping you with your claim, you will always be vulnerable to these schemes.

Protection and Transparency

Another reason why you should hire a public adjuster is that they will keep your insurance company honest. Most insurance carriers use tactics that gradually wear down their claimants and clients to the point that they are willing to accept unfavorable settlements.

We’ve already mentioned claim games but some insurance companies will simply take the more direct route by forcing their claimants to exhaust their resources to the point that they are willing to accept relatively unfair or inadequate terms.

For example, a claimant who had his house burned down may take a smaller settlement if it meant getting the funds in the next couple of days. Public adjusters know the best ways to counter such tactics.

They can also help you get information that your insurance carrier wants to hide. And of course, they can protect you from any attempt by your insurance provider to put you in a situation where you are forced to agree to a lower settlement.

All of these services and many others are provided by public adjusters. So if you’re in a tense situation with your insurance company, you should hire a public adjuster right away. Their expertise can spell the difference between a successful settlement and being cheated by your insurance carrier.