When an unexpected mishap strikes your private property, be it your car or residence, your immediate thought after the safety of yourself and your family would be about damage control and recovery. For instance, in the event of a car accident, after you settle matters of physical safety, your next process would naturally be to ring up your insurance company to make your claim to your insurance policy in order to receive the due payment to cover your losses. It is a process that involves the hassle of numerous phone calls to your insurance agent and insurance company in addition to the legwork required in the process of submitting required documentation and other legal procedures.
When you make a claim for your property or vehicle insurance policy, apart from the taxing formalities, your biggest concern is the potential for your claim to be either underpaid or be flat out denied. If you are not familiar with the nuances, the chances of receiving underwhelming reimbursements are higher especially in case of being one of the mass victims of natural disasters. So, how do you approach your individual policy claim as a formidable claimant?
Most people choose the easiest and most reliable solution to this problem- which is to hire a public insurance adjuster.
Who is a public insurance adjuster?
An insurance adjuster is someone who works as an agent between the claimant (you) and your insurance company and is in charge of investigating the details of the losses and ascertaining the total amount to be paid out to the claimant. They are either hired by the insurance company to assist their policyholders in the process of making the claim (company insurance adjusters), or hired on contract by the insurance company as independent insurance adjusters, or public insurance adjusters who are hired directly by the policyholder to act in their lieu and handle the entire process.
The need to hire a public insurance adjuster is a much-debated topic with many arguments for and against the necessity of hiring a third-party insurance adjuster. The public insurance adjuster, as an intermediary acts on your behalf to inspect the losses and arrive at the settlement that favors the claimant for a remuneration amounting to 10-20% of the total settlement money you receive. Those against the recruitment of public insurance adjusters assert that direct interaction with the insurance agent and company will help you cut the cost expended on hiring an adjuster and thereby retain all the money claimed. While this is true in speech, when it comes to real life, work and commitments tend to get in your way very often, leaving you with barely enough time to partake in such a time-consuming process as making insurance claims.
The role and need for a public insurance adjuster emerge when your insurance company doesn’t offer an insurance adjuster for you. If you hire a public insurance adjuster, they professionally handle every step involved in making the claim until you receive the settlement. This includes:
- Initial inspection of damages
- Detailed inspection to discover losses
- Charts an estimate of the total amount adding up the total damage
- Reviews the details of your insurance policy
- Files the insurance claim with the company
- Submits all the necessary documents and coordinates with the company procedures
- Negotiates with the insurance company to prevent underpayment, bouncing, and claim denial.
Making insurance claims is an area of activity that requires expertise to not only avoid disputes but also ensure that you receive the reimbursement you deserve. Especially in case of hefty, large scale damages where your loss surpasses the total money that can be claimed in accordance with your insurance policy. In such cases, the professional assistance of an experienced public insurance adjuster is necessary to claim the appropriate amount to cover your losses. In addition to the aid of their wisdom, you are also relieved of the burden and stress involved in the entire ordeal, while they help you streamline the entire process in the fastest way.
