With the spate of disasters now plaguing our country and, indeed, the world, it's important for homeowners to have sufficient, quality homeowner's insurance in force. It's also important to understand how it works, what benefits it provides and how to claim your fair share if and when a claim is made. Even with all these bases covered, seeking an insurance claim settlement for a property loss you've suffered is no simple exercise, especially when tackled on your own without the assistance of a public adjuster.

The Role of a Public Adjuster

While not every property insurance claim requires the services of a public adjuster, it's probably a good idea to consider hiring one if the suspected insurance claim settlement will be in excess of $10,000 or thereabouts. In most cases, the larger the property loss, the more likely your need for professional help in obtaining a true and fair settlement in your insurance payoff.

Unlike insurance company adjusters, who are employed by the insurer, a public adjuster works for you, the insured. A public adjuster is paid on a percentage basis, determined by the amount of the insurance claim settlement you receive. Although typically set at between 5%-15%, this fee is negotiable. When hiring a public adjuster you should look for someone with significant, successful field experience negotiating insurance claims, which you can verify by checking references listing previous clients.

Five Ways a Public Adjuster Can Help Level the Playing Field

Often an insurance carrier will attempt to underpay a claim, be uncooperative in their treatment of you or even wrongfully deny your claim altogether.

1. A public adjuster, as your advocate, will investigate and document your property loss and negotiate with the insurer on your behalf to obtain a fair and equitable settlement.

2. A public adjuster will explain the precise meaning of the wording in your insurance policy terms.

3. A public adjuster is an expert in construction and damage repair and knows what should and should not be covered under the terms of your policy. These are aspects of the settlement process that aren't known by the average homeowner. Insurance companies can often become adversarial or even hostile when dealing with insurance claimants. With a public adjuster working for you, you won't even have to talk to your insurance company.

4. Making an insurance claim following a property loss, especially something significant, is stressful, requires a great deal if time and is a huge hassle. A public adjuster will step in and take this weight off your shoulders and allow you to return to your daily life unencumbered by the responsibility of having to handle all the details required to see your insurance claim settlement through to its successful conclusion.

5. It's not unusual for a public adjuster to obtain 3X, 4X or even more in settlement dollars than the insurance company initially offered prior to the adjuster being hired. Though there is no guarantee, a public adjuster will almost always get much more in settlement funds than the average claimant without representation. The fee paid for this service is well worth the additional payoff amount.

A Word of Caution

In some situations, hiring a public adjuster may not financially prudent. If a claim is small or if the insurance company's adjuster has agreed to pay the maximum under the limits of your policy, you've no need to give away a percentage of your settlement when no additional payoff funds are available. When deciding to hire a public adjuster, make sure they are licensed in your state, have solid references and proven success at negotiating insurance claims.                                                                                                                                                      

Miller Public Adjusters currently serves the states of
Wisconsin - Florida - Illinois - Indiana - Michigan - Minnesota - Texas

Call us 24 hours a day at (800)958-4829 to schedule an appointment or
please fill out a Free Claim Review to see if we can help.