What is a Public Adjuster?
More often than not, I meet homeowners who don’t realize they have the right to be represented by a Public Adjuster, or even that such a profession exists. If you’re reading this, chances are you’re trying to learn exactly what a Public Adjuster does and how one can help. In short, a Public Adjuster is someone hired by a homeowner to represent their interests through a property insurance claim process.
Understanding How Insurance Claims Work
In order to better understand what they are and why you would consider hiring one, let’s talk about what a claim is and who determines how much a claim is worth. A couple key terms to identify:
Insurance: simply a contract (policy) that transfers a homeowner’s risk of damage or injury to an insurance company in exchange for a fee.
Insurance Claim: may be filed by a policyholder (homeowner) when they feel that they have suffered damages that are covered by their policy, to recover financial compensation for the value of these damages.
Insurance Adjuster: will be sent out by the insurance company to investigate the policyholder’s claims and determine the extent of the insurance company’s liability for the damages being claimed.
The Problem With The Current System
Now that we understand what insurance is, how it’s used and who determines the outcome, we can get into how a Public Adjuster plays a role in this process. It is no surprise that insurance companies are like any business with the end goal of making money. Naturally like any business, they bring money in through premiums and send money out through claims. To stay profitable, they have an incentive to minimize what they pay on claims, even legitimate ones. With what we know so far, do you think an insurance company is going to reimburse you for 100% of your loss when the adjuster that is determining their “expense” is sent out by the insurance company themselves?
Where A Public Adjuster Comes In
This is where a Public Adjuster steps in. Why allow the same company that owes you money to decide how much they’ll pay? If you haven’t guessed by now, a Public Adjuster is Your Adjuster! A Public Adjuster works for you, not the insurance company. We inspect your damages, prepare a detailed estimate, and negotiate directly with your insurer to secure a fair and full settlement.
Homeowners who file a claim without a Public Adjuster often find themselves underpaid and many assume that’s the end of the story. From my experience, there is always something reasonable to argue that these insurance adjusters will try to avoid. While Public Adjusters aren’t miracle workers, their expertise and documentation usually result in a more accurate and often higher settlement than what’s first offered.
When should you call Cavalry Public Adjusters?
Immediately after damage occurs. Policies require that claims are filed within a reasonable timeframe from when the incident occurred, so be sure to call us immediately to avoid late reporting.
If you’ve already filed and feel underpaid. You’ll want to avoid signing any documents that say “Full and final settlement” or cashing a check that says “Final payment” as these would imply that you are satisfied with your compensation. Call the Cavalry to review your claim before finalizing any settlement.
If you feel overwhelmed. you may feel overwhelmed in your claim process from inspections, recorded interviews, gathering the necessary documents, etc. We handle the process so you don’t have to. Please do not hesitate to call us!