How Can A Public Adjuster Get You A Better Settlement?

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How Can A Public Adjuster Get You A Better
Settlement?
When I was younger and just a little bit cockier
(or should I say confident?) I used to make a
joke when people were considering hiring us.
Potential clients would sometimes worry that
that we could or would somehow get the insurance
company to increase an insurance settlement
unfairly. My joke was, Im not good looking
enough to get the insurance company to pay for
something they dont owe. The sentiment is
true. If we do not prove an insureds loss, they
are not getting paid more. Our job is to
measure, document, and present the loss to the
insurer. This response is why most insureds are
not able to add to their recovery. They may know
that the insurance company under-measured their
loss but its hard to prove that and document it
properly.
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As public insurance adjusters, we measure your
loss by doing our own estimate or in reviewing
reviewing the insurance companys estimate. We
prove what the damage by presenting
documentation that the loss occurred and what it
would cost to repair or replace that item. An
example of this on a structure claim insured on
the building provision of the policy could be a
disagreement on cabinets. For example, the Jones
Family had a large fire. The insurance company
might think that the kitchen cabinets can be
cleaned, sealed and painted by a restoration
company for 2,000. On our investigation, we
find that the cabinets are custom cabinets and
attached directly to the drywall of an exterior
wall. The drywall and insulation behind the
cabinets suffered smoke damage and, without
removing the cabinets, a contractor cannot
remove the drywall and insulation. Removing the
custom cabinets will destroy the cabinets. We
can prove and document this by photographing and
obtaining a letter from a contractor, restoration
company and/or cabinet restorer. We will present
the evidence in the pursuit of your claim. The
insurance company can do one of two things
accept our proposition or present evidence to the
contrary. However, if were right were right
and the insurance company cannot present
evidence to the contrary, that issue might be
easily resolved. If the insurance company
attempts to contact a contractor or cabinet
restorer for a contrary opinion that contractor
will need to be able to back up his or her
position by being able to prove they can actually
do the work that the insurer has suggested.
Hence, if a contractor can not do the work in
the way described its rare that the contractor
will assert otherwise.
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Now, considering the claim for personal property,
lets use an example of a theft claim. In theft
claims an insured must somehow prove that they
originally possessed the items. Gathering so
much evidence can be difficult on an insured. As
Public Insurance Adjusters, will help comb
through receipts, pictures, and accounts to get
important evidence. A stolen watch? We might
find you wearing it at a party a few years ago
that you had posted on your Facebook. Thieves
stole your kids XBOX 360? Your Best Buy account
will probably have the original purchase date
and price. Proving you had these items is half
the battle and there is no magic in that, just
hard investigative work. Measuring and
documenting a loss is every bit as tedious as
processing your own taxes. Sure, you might do
yourself but when you hire an expert you save
both the time and the money in the long run.