Damage to your home as a result of a natural disaster or the like is often unexpected and very expensive. However, your homeowner’s insurance should provide you with the necessary coverage to receive money to fix any damage or losses as a result of the disaster.
When your home has experienced property damage or loss as a result of fire, water, flood, theft, wind, or storm damage, then you should contact a public adjuster. What is a public adjuster? Public adjuster services advocate for the policyholder in appraising and negotiating a claimant’s insurance claim.
A public claims adjuster is usually brought in after the insurer has agreed to pay the claim, but just needs to properly identify and value the loss. A public claims adjuster will evaluate existing policies to see what is applicable, research and evaluate any damage or extra losses, determine values, and prepare, document, and support a claim on behalf of the insured.
There are three different classes of insurance claims adjusters: staff adjusters, independent adjusters, and public adjusters. Staff adjusters are employed by the insurance company, independent adjusters are independent contracts hired by the insurance company, and public claims adjusters are employed by the policyholder. Public claims adjusters licensed by state departments of insurance are the only type of claims adjuster that can legally represent the rights of an insured during an insurance claim process.
Flood damage and fire damage claims are the most commonly filed claims that insurance claims adjusters have to process, as they are the most common types of home damage. Firefighters responded to approximately 1,240,000 fires last year, and hurricanes, winter storms, and snow melt caused a lot of unexpected flooding in people’s homes.
Hiring a public claims adjuster will give you someone that is on your side, and will represent your best interests during interaction with the insurance companies. They can even help negotiate your settlement to a higher amount! To learn more, read this.
