Faq

Familiarizing with the insurance claim process is crucial, especially for the people affected by massive damages in their homes. It will enable you to know who you can hire during this challenging situation to represent you professionally. For instance, if you decide to hire a qualified adjuster to represent you during the insurance claim process, differentiating between a public adjuster and an independent adjuster can be a confusing process if you lack adequate knowledge in the field.

The two professionals play different roles in the claiming process. Therefore, that is the reason why we find it necessary to enlighten the policyholders by educating them about the fundamental dissimilarities between the major three adjusters that they may come across when filing an insurance claim. We value every policyholder regardless of the state of their homes, and we disclose helpful information that meets the insurance standards of the California State. According to the Department of Insurance in the State of California, these are the definitions of varieties of adjusters. 

In the process of the insurance claim, the policyholder can encounter three different adjusters. These are the definitions of the three common types of insurance adjusters.

The first category includes the public adjusters. These professional insurance adjusters work outside your insurance firm. Therefore, they assist the insured person in processing, settling and presenting the insurance claim. After hiring them, the policyholder and the public insurance adjuster agree on the compensation fee that he or she will get, which is usually a particular percentage of the whole settlement. These are the requirements of public adjusters in the State of California: They should have the required license to offer the services. Additionally, they must pass the testing process by the State of California to prove their proficiency in representing the policyholder.

The second category includes the company adjusters. They are insurance adjusters employed by your insurance firm. As the employees of your insurance company, they receive their payments from your enterprise. Therefore, to represent you in the claiming process, they will not charge you any fee. They do not have individual working licenses, and the State of California does not test them.

The third type includes the Independent adjusters. These are the professionals hired by your insurance company to represent you in the process of the settlement of the claim. Your insurance firm pays them for their services.

Realistically, are the adjusters in the third category, independent insurance adjusters completely independent? 

At first, as a policyholder, the independent adjuster may seem excellent for your needs. However, the term independent misleads the public because these professionals do not work for you, but they work the insurance firm. They are strictly the legal representatives of the insurance company, their employer. 
The best alternative for you is the public adjuster because the professional’s principal purpose is to work for you, as the insured policyholder. Our primary objective is to help the citizens in the processes involved when claiming the property insurance. Thousands of homeowners prefer getting the services of public adjusters to file their insurance claim and to complete the process efficiently. They are the best because they act as the representatives of the policyholders to make sure that the insurance company offers maximum compensation of the damaged property. It allows you to take care of your family’s needs without worrying about the outcomes of the claiming process.

What is a public adjuster? More importantly, what do they do? Chances are, you are fully aware of what an insurance claims adjuster does when working for an insurance company. A public adjuster has the same job, but does the job for a different purpose. They are not typically associated with the insurance company and therefore, work to keep a level playing field between you and the insurance carrier. When you have any type of damage to a structure, you typically call your insurance company and they will eventually send out an adjuster in order to examine the damage. At that point, they will tell you how much they think the claim is worth and this in turn dictates how you will be able to repair the structure because it is directly tied to the amount of money that will be paid regarding the claim.

While it doesn’t happen all the time, there are times when individuals have a dispute with the insurance company. Unfortunately, this happens more often than it probably should. This is where the public adjuster comes in. They are able to look at things from the same analytical perspective as the adjuster who works for the insurance company but they don’t have a stake in the matter. In other words, they don’t feel any pressure to reduce the amount of money paid on a claim because that’s what the insurance company wants them to do. They’re able to look at things from a much more objective point of view while still speaking the same language as the insurance company. This means that you have the chance to get paid a fair amount on the claim so if you think that you have a justifiable dispute with the insurance company it is vitally important to get a public adjuster to look at the damage as quickly as possible.

Typically, the public adjuster will work as a liaison between you and the insurance company. When the insurance company pays the claim, the public adjuster is then paid a certain percentage of that settlement. Granted, you will have to give up a certain amount of the money awarded to you in order to pay the public adjuster, but that is a far superior option to not being paid any at all or being paid a severely reduced amount that is deemed reasonable by the insurance company. In the end, you know that you are at least getting a fair settlement and you just might get enough to make the necessary repairs and take care of the bills for the public adjuster at the same t

If you don’t have your own representative, you’re at a disadvantage because you don’t handle claims everyday the way the adjuster at the insurance company does. It’s best to utilize the professional knowledge of a public adjuster to interact with the insurance company’s adjuster because they speak the same language…just with different end goals.

 Hiring one will cost you about 10% of the claim, but the negotiations usually increase the payout far more than 10%, from hundreds to thousands of percentage difference from what insurance companies offer. So the payout far surpasses the cost.

Check their state license, demand references from actual sources, and ask a lot of questions. If needed, bring in a lawyer. You can also determine whether the public adjusters are members of the NAPIA, a registered body that sets standards for the public adjusters; doing this guarantees that you’re dealing with the appropriate personnel.

Our goal is to address the wide gap between touchy-feely insurance advertising and their iron-fisted claims process. You did nothing to sustain a property loss, and we’ll do everything we can to help you through the process, one day at a time.

Often in making a claim to the insurance providers, we are faced with a dilemma in determining the legitimate adjuster to take us through the claiming process. It is why we require to familiarizing you with the NAPIA, a registered body that sets standards for the public adjusters. To make your work easy, you need to determine whether the public adjusters are the members of the NAPIA. It guarantees that you are dealing with the appropriate personnel.

Also, you need to determine the ability of the company to provide you with the business reference. The company ought to provide the appropriate references. Afterward, try to contact them regularly. This method ensures that you verify the legitimacy of the firm. Luckily for us, we provide the references upon request on our main website.

Moreover, to ascertain that you are operating with the best ensure that you are in a position to determine if the public adjusters have the policy of errors and omissions insurance. The policy can cover you in case the adjusters unwillingly make a mistake that affects your compensation scheme.
For more accuracy determine the period they have been offering the service. It is important as you can judge adjusters abilities. Also, confirm whether they are registered to provide the service in your state. You can determine this by visiting the agency that authorizes permits the adjusters to in the state.

To determine their eligibility of the firm in adjusting your claim, you can visit their website and learn if they offer the services you need. In case your file is of business interruption claim you should ensure you confirm whether the company has CPA. If they have, then you get assured that they have the required expertise to make your claim successful.

t almost impossible to tell if a disaster will ever strike your business. Add the fact that most businesses are not prepared for a disaster, and the damage from them can be significant. Below are 10 simple steps you can take before and after a disaster to make the process of filing an insurance claim much easier if your business has experienced a disaster. The insurance claim will help you gain money that you need to financially recover from a catastrophe. 

Before The Disaster Strikes, Disaster Preparation

Step 1
You should take pictures of your property before a major catastrophe hits. This will make it much easier to prove the extent of the damages that you have suffered. Update your photos every year or half year. Take new photos of your grounds if there are going to be any major additions or changes to your property too. 

Step 2
Make sure vital information is backed up and stored securely offsite somewhere. This can include customer records, financial records, and any other documents that are necessary for your business to thrive. Having these documents ready after a disaster hits can help you recover much easier and help with your insurance claims. 

Step 3
Setting up a claim management team ahead of time for your company is a good idea. Ideally, the leader of the team should be someone who knows how to handle insurance policies and can communicate effectively with insurance companies regarding your claim. This way if a disaster strikes, you will already have a plan in place and can respond immediately. 

After A Disaster Has Hit Your Business, Post Disaster Protocol

Step 4
If you have suffered hurricane or flood damage, then you should put up tarps and cover windows to prevent further damage to any buildings. Remove carpets and drywall that have been soaked with water. This will prevent mold from growing and spreading throughout your property. Put temporary barriers and fencing to keep vandals at bay and to prevent the public from being injured as well. 

Step 5
Don’t sign any contracts for damage repairs and replacement with contractors until you agree on what needs to be replaced and fixed. You should also wait until you get a quote from your insurance company on the cost of fixing any damage you incurred during the disaster. This way, you should know how much you have to spend on repairs. 

Step 6
After a disaster has struck, and it is safe to do so, you should carefully document the damage. Take photographs of any and all damage to your business. You can also videotape damage as well. The more physical proof you have of damage, the more likely that your claim will be processed by the insurance company. Take photos of any debris piles as well.

Step 7
Get a full copy of your insurance policy. Make sure you understand everything in the policy and what it covers. If you do not understand something in the policy, then bring in an insurance expert and/or attorney to explain what damages are covered in your policy. 

Step 8
While you are rebuilding and replacing damaged parts of your business, it is important to keep a record of any expenses you have. Keep receipts so that you can later provide them to your insurance carrier. With concrete proof of expenses, you will be more likely to be reimbursed for these costs by the insurance company. 

Step 9
Many business owners believe that their insurance company knows what is the best course of action to take for a business recovery. This could not be farther from the truth. As the business owner, you are in the best position to determine what is needed for your company’s recovery. Insurance company adjusters will just check your claim and determine your reimbursement amount. 

Step 10
An insurance company will send its adjusters to look at damage and audit any claims you file. Keep in mind that these adjusters work for them and not for you. It may be a good idea to hire your own experts who can give you your own estimates. Also, having someone knowledgeable about insurance, to handle your claim is a smart idea. Letting them handle your claim, can let you focus on running your business while the claim is being filed.