When disaster strikes, it’s important to have a professional on your side that knows how to manage and navigate the complexities of public insurance. But before you hire one, make sure you ask these 5 questions first!
Many people describe filing an insurance claim after a large loss as no simple task. It involves legwork, paperwork, understanding policy rules, and negotiation with your insurance agent. This is a difficult thing to do. You need to list and put a value on all the things that were destroyed or damaged.
On top of that, negotiating a fair claim settlement can be very challenging – especially after an emotionally devastating catastrophe. Most people typically don’t know much about the insurance industry, so they may find themselves at a disadvantage when dealing with an insurer.
Fortunately, there are professionals who specialize in navigating the complexities of public insurance claims for you.
Public Adjusters are savvy professionals that work with your adjuster to assess and settle any property damage claim where Homeowners Insurance covers some or part of the losses.
If you are having problems with your insurer, or if your personal or professional situation is making it hard for you to deal with all the details, you may want to hire a public adjuster.
If you are in the process of hiring a public adjuster, here are five questions to ask:
- Do you have a Public Adjusters License? Be sure you are hiring a licensed Public Adjuster. Ask to see their license and if they are not licensed, don’t hire them.
- How many other claims have you signed on to as a Public Adjuster? There is an optimum number of claims for any given adjuster, and if the public adjuster has too many cases or is not sufficiently qualified then they will be less efficient.
- Have they worked on your type of insurance claim before? If your claim is unique and the public adjuster has never had to deal with a similar situation before, they may not always be easy to work with or get you the maximum payout you deserve.
- What are their fees? There is no hourly rate for this type of work. Public adjusters are either billed on a case-by-case basis or have one fixed fee per project. You need to know what the fees are before you get a public adjuster. Most Public Adjusters work on a percentage of the total value of the claim. The fee ranges from 5% to 15%. But this fee can be negotiated in certain states.
- If I hire you, can I still talk to the insurance company? You should be able to communicate freely with the other adjuster on your claim. A public adjuster is not going to take over that role for you, and they are there strictly as a representative of your interests in negotiating the settlement or determination of damages. They fight for you!
If you want to learn more about public adjusters, or if you’re looking for a qualified professional that can help manage the complexities of your insurance claim after disaster strikes, contact All Florida Claims Advisors today @ (786) 321-9650! We would love to talk with you and answer any questions you may have.
