When a hurricane heads to Florida, property owners will be seeking out assistance and advice for their property insurance damage claim. We are often asked to explain the benefits of hiring Aftermath Adjusters & Consulting, a public adjuster firm. Here are five benefits you receive when you hire a public adjuster for a hurricane claim.
1. Fighting Your Hurricane Claim
You are going to need someone who:
- Understands “insurance speak”
- Knows the technicalities of policy language
- Can negotiate with the insurance company
- Will ensure the process is done correctly
There have been many instances where a policyholder was either told or thought they were not covered for a loss where we found coverage.
2. Experience and Skills
It is pretty easy to solve a math problem. Understanding your insurance policy, however, takes more experience and skills than you have time to acquire. Insurance hurricane claim handling is an art as much as it is a science. Many adjusters have their own techniques in estimating losses. It doesn’t matter if they are an:
- Insurance company adjuster
- Independent adjuster
- Public adjuster
Many adjusters come in from other states in the wake of a storm to help handle all of the insurance claims. This can be a problem if an adjuster doesn’t know the Florida specific laws and regulations, and its payment of property insurance claims. It’s best to find out where your adjuster is from. Ask them questions.
3. Avoiding Mistakes
Some facets of a claim can be tedious, like placing value on a loss, identifying possessions and valuables, and accounting for them. These things, however, are absolutely necessary. It is also problematic if you let restoration companies remove or discard any property before documentation. One mistake in filing your insurance hurricane claim cause you to not receive a sufficient settlement for the damages.
4. Quick Payments
Policyholders are typically happy if they get quick payments. Hindsight, however, is always 20/20. Don’t accept a settlement that is less than what you are entitled to in order to get money faster. Public adjusters see this tactic every day. They can help negotiate an upfront payment while keeping the hurricane claim process going.
5. Network of Contacts
An experienced public adjusting firm has contacts that can help clean and fix damage quickly. They should be able to get you:
- Plumbers
- Contractors
- Roofers
- Remediation firms
You can use an experienced public adjuster’s resources to help with the intricacies of your hurricane claim settlement. However, your public adjuster will not be the one to make needed repairs. Your adjuster and those making repairs must be separate entities. Nonetheless, their contacts can help you get moving forward again.
The public adjuster is an important part of the insurance claims process. They are an advocate for the policyholder and manage their expectations, while settling claims fairly. If you have questions regarding any property insurance storm damage related issues caused by a hurricane, please feel free to give Aftermath Adjusters a call. We are here to help you with any questions about your hurricane claim that you may have.