If you have property damage, then you will want to hire a professional public adjuster. As a policyholder, there are many things you can do to assure that your public adjuster is the right one. Here are 6 tips to help you find a public adjuster to help you with your property damage claim.
Legally Practice
The first thing you need to do is be sure the public adjuster is licensed to practice in Florida. Professional public adjusters must have a license in all states in which they practice. In fact, it is illegal for them to practice without such a license.
In addition to showing that they have the initial training needed to be a public adjuster, the license shows that they:
- Have bond insurance
- Participates in continuing education classes
Never work with someone that does not have a public adjuster license.
Personal Service
Know how the public adjusting firm works so you feel comfortable with the process. Do you prefer to work with the same individual throughout? Does the firm provide different adjusters who specialize in different areas of the process? Do different adjusters have specialties with specific types of claims such as fire or flood?
Referrals
Get a recommendation from a family member, friend, or acquaintance. This should be someone with personal knowledge of the public adjuster and satisfaction with their work. If you can’t get a recommendation, you can ask the public adjuster for referrals. Contact others that have worked with the public adjuster to be sure they approved of their experience.
Professional Public Adjuster Experience
Many property damage claims are complicated, requiring a high level of experience. To determine how much experience your professional public adjuster has, you can ask the following questions:
- What types of claims have you worked on in the past?
- Have you ever worked with my insurance carrier?
- How long have you been a public adjuster?
You can also look on their website to see what they have to say about their experience level.
Communication
Most public adjusters handle the entire claim from start to finish. However, this does not mean that you will want to be out of the loop. Talk with your potential adjuster about how they stay in contact with you and how much information you will have along the way. Determine if they will be available by phone, text, and/or email and how long it takes them to respond to inquiries. The point here is to be comfortable with their communication style.
Vetting
Just like when you hire other professionals, you will want to do your due diligence when hiring a professional public adjuster. Be sure to do the following:
- Check references
- Determine if their license is still valid
- Read online reviews
The professional public adjusters at Aftermath Adjusters & Consulting, LLC are licensed and trained insurance claims adjusters with 50+ years of combined experience. We advocate for you – the policyholder – when negotiating and appraising an insurance claim. Contact us today!