In the event of a property damage incident, you’ll need to file a claim with your insurance company. Your insurer will send out an adjuster to assess the damages and ensure you’re appropriately compensated for them.
If there’s any disagreement about how much your claim should be worth, that’s when a professional public adjuster, like Link Public Adjusters, may come into play.
The Claims Process
A public adjuster is a third party that helps you get the most out of your insurance claim. Public adjusters work on a contingency basis, meaning they only get paid if they get more money.
For example, let’s say your home has been damaged by fire and smoke damage. Your insurance company sends out its representative (known as an “inspector”) to assess the damage; they will determine what repairs need to be done for it to be safe enough for habitation again.
Then, based on this assessment, they’ll tell you how much money they’ll pay toward repair costs–and often, this amount is less than what it would cost if you did repairs on your own.
Primary Role of a Public Adjuster
The role of a public adjuster is to advocate on behalf of the policyholder. A public adjuster is not an insurance company employee, and they do not work for you or your attorney; they work with them to help you through the process.
A public adjuster works for a percentage of your claim settlement. This means that if you receive $10,000 from the insurance company, they will receive 10%. If you recover nothing, they get nothing.
The policyholder can also pay public adjusters. If so, they will charge a flat fee instead of taking a percentage of your recovery.
What’s the Insurance Company’s Role?
As a policyholder, you may be familiar with the term “insurer.” The insurance company that pays your claim is the “insurer.” A public adjuster works on behalf of an insured person or business to help them recover from a loss. A public adjuster represents both parties in negotiations with their respective insurers and helps resolve disputes over claims payments.
A public adjuster’s job is to act as your advocate when dealing with an insurer; they negotiate on behalf of their clients and get them the best possible outcome for their case. In exchange for this service, they charge a percentage fee based on whatever amount is recovered through settlement or court judgment (which can range anywhere from 20%-35% depending on location).
When the insurance company offers an offer, it’s called a “proposal.” This is the initial offer from the insurance company and can be accepted or rejected by you. If you accept their proposal, it becomes final–you will not be able to negotiate further on this claim with that company.
If you accept the proposal, you’ll have agreed to settle your claim on those terms. You can always reject the proposal and keep negotiating with your insurance company. If so, they may make a better offer or even agree to pay what they initially offered in their first proposal (though this is unlikely).
However, suppose you reject it and continue negotiating with them yourself. In that case, there’s no guarantee that things will turn out any better than if you had accepted their first offer–and there’s always a chance that they’ll just reject all further negotiations with you altogether!
Working to Get a Larger Settlement
A public adjuster works to get you a more considerable settlement than the insurer initially proposed. The public adjuster can negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf, which you would only be able to do if you had one.
A public adjuster can help you understand the insurance, claim, and settlement processes so that when it comes time for them to make their case on your behalf, they have all of the information needed to do so effectively.
Get The Payout You Deserve
Insurance claim adjustments for storm, fire, water, and other disasters.
Why a Certified Public Adjuster is the Right Move
You’re trying to get your insurance claim settled. You’ve been waiting for months, and things aren’t going well. You need help, but who can you turn to?
A public adjuster is an experienced professional dealing with the insurance claims process on behalf of policyholders like you. A public adjuster works on a percentage basis–meaning they receive payment only after the claim is successfully settled or litigated (or otherwise resolved).
Public adjusters have access to resources that are not available through traditional channels alone: They can take advantage of their experience and knowledge about how insurers operate, which allows them to negotiate better settlements for clients by leveraging their position as independent contractors rather than employees of an insurance company; they also have access to information about specific policies’ terms and conditions that may be useful when determining whether or not there’s been coverage under those policies; finally, since public adjusters aren’t agents of any particular insurer (so long as they don’t represent themselves falsely), there’s no conflict-of-interest when working toward resolution because there won’t be any conflicts between what works best for clients vs. what benefits one particular company over another.
If you’re looking for a way to manage your insurance claims process more effectively, working with a public adjuster might be the right choice.
A public adjuster can help you secure larger settlements than the insurer initially offered and avoid unnecessary delays in getting paid out on your claim. Call us today at 866.522.1049 to get a larger settlement for your property damage!