The old wisdom, "Good things come to those who wait" doesn’t necessarily apply when you’re ready to settle your property damage claim. When your repairs are near completion and contractors are waiting for their money, it’s just not a good idea to wait for the insurance company adjuster to call. You've lived through a catastrophe. You've been patient while your home was being restored. You've worked through a complicated claim process. You deserve to know where you stand for an offer on your claim.

You need to know

By the time your contractors put the finishing touches on your repairs, your insurance company should be prepared to settle your claim. If it’s been a long while since you've heard from the insurance adjuster, you need to find out why. It could be any number of reasons:

• The claim file isn’t reserved high enough to cover your costs.
• The adjuster hasn’t asked for the authority to settle your claim.
• A supervisor discovered a missed coverage issue.
• Your repair costs are higher than the company thinks they should be.

If your claim file has a lengthy to-do list when the adjuster should be making an offer, the adjuster might be tempted to set it aside and wait for a better day to address the deficiencies. Until that better day comes, you might be waiting, and waiting... and waiting. Don’t wait. Make the first move yourself.

Some insurance companies wait for a "demand"

Some insurance companies expect a “demand letter.” That's an old school settlement stall where the company does nothing until you demand a dollar amount to settle your claim. While it seems reasonable to believe your “proof of loss” should be a sufficient demand, policies explain that your insurance company owes payment ”... 60 days after we receive your proof of loss…” but one of these conditions must also occur:

"1. Reach an agreement with you;"

"2. There is an entry of final judgment;"

"3. There is a filing of an appraisal award with us."

If you have met all of your claim duties and requirements and you still haven’t received a settlement offer, ask the adjuster what the company needs from you to "...reach an agreement..."

Negotiations can go on for months

Settlement negotiations can seem like a long, confusing, dance. Insurance adjusters often begin with a lowball offer. If you don't reject it and counter with a higher demand, the adjuster will happily send you a release. If you ask for more, he'll likely come back with a higher figure and it can go back-and-forth from there. When you have time to spare, there's always room to haggle. When you have contractors demanding payment now, you might be tempted to take the faster settlement.

A public adjuster knows when and how to settle your claim

A faster claim settlement reduces the insurance adjuster’s caseload and gets the contractors paid, but it’s not usually the best option for you. If you settle too early and there are hidden damages or higher material and labor costs, you could be stuck with costly out-of-pocket expenses.

Hiring a public adjuster gives you the advantage of having a trained claim professional in your corner. Public adjusters undergo comprehensive training. They have the experience to manage claim issues you might not know about or understand and they work hard to get a higher insurance settlement for you. In return for these services, you pay a small fee based on your final settlement. When a public adjuster manages and negotiates your claim, you can expect a significantly higher claim payout. 

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

Call us 24 hours a day at (866)443-5167 to schedule an appointment or
please fill out a Free Claim Review to see if we can help.