The Role of Public Adjusters in Theft and Vandalism Cases | People’s Insurance Claim Center

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The Role of Public Adjusters in Theft and Vandalism Cases

There are few incidents in the life of a homeowner or business owner that are more traumatic than theft and vandalism. Just imagine: You return home after a long and trying day at work–or perhaps you arrive at your business early one morning, ready to start the day–and you notice right away that you’ve been robbed. Maybe your door has been kicked in or broken open. Maybe your plate glass windows have been smashed with bricks. Whatever the scenario, it’s likely to lead to feelings of fear, anger, and vulnerability. But at the very least, those of you who’ve purchased theft and vandalism coverage from your insurance company will be able to get your damages repaired and your stolen items replaced. Right? Getting Your Theft & Vandalism Claim Paid Might Not be Easy Well … not necessarily. Because unfortunately, it’s not always that easy. It’s important to keep in mind that no matter how long you’ve been with your current...

How Much Does a Public Adjuster Cost?

People hire public adjusters because they streamline and simplify the insurance claim process. They are also trained to negotiate with insurance companies as well as provide valuable information to their clients throughout the entire claim process. However, the most important reason why people hire public adjusters is that they trust them. The interests of an average public adjuster is almost always aligned with those of their clients, and this is because public adjusters charge commissions instead of fixed fees. So the more money their clients receive in damages, the more money public adjusters are able to make. But just how much money do public adjusters make, and more importantly, what’s their standard commission rate? If you’re asking these kinds of questions then the following information will tell you what you need to know. How Public Adjusters Charge Their Fees Public adjusters calculate their fees based on a percentage of their client’s total claim. This payment scheme incentivizes public adjusters to...

Can Public Adjusters Help with Water Damage

Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Water Damage? Weather-related damage to homes account for over half of all homeowners insurance claims, and that includes water damage — but weather isn’t the only way your home can be damaged by water. Spills, water leaks, overflows, and seepage can all make it seem like monsoon season inside your house or give you the indoor pool you never wanted. We thought the best way to walk you through the sometimes complex process of claiming a water damage coverage would be presenting an in-deep look into what types of water damage could be -or not- covered by your insurance, understanding your coverage claim and what to take into consideration to place a water damage claim properly, so you can recover from the already calamitous and unfortunate water accident you might just suffered. TYPES OF WATER DAMAGE There are three main types of water damage that refer to the kind of contaminants in the water. Understanding which...

Will Hiring a Public Adjuster Help Get More Money for My Claim?

If you’ve suffered a property loss to your home, it has undoubtedly caused you substantial stress and grief. Dealing with your insurance company should not compound your worries but, unfortunately, all too often a claim is mishandled and as the insured, you can be left feeling your insurer is not living up to its policy’s promises or is in bad faith. In that case, it may be time to consider hiring a public adjuster to assist you with your claim. When you seek the help of a public adjuster, there are three main points to keep in mind: The public adjuster works for you, the homeowner, not for the insurance companyThe public adjuster is paid a percentage of the claim recovered usually around 10 percent.Insurance settlements are consistenly larger when a public adjuster manages your claim. What is a Public Adjuster? Public adjusters are insurance claims experts who specialize in interpreting insurance policies so they can assist you in preparing...

Finding Public Adjusters for Fire Damage

Understanding Fire and Smoke Damage Fire losses are often the most devastating occurrences that can happen to a family or business. Fire damage requires important short-term decisions from individuals that are under a tremendous amount of stress and confusion. Unfortunately, our fire claim adjusters see many mistakes being made regarding how to handle a restoration company or what contracts to sign. These can have lasting consequences on what you recover from your fire insurance claim. Just view this investigative report about getting the most out of your insurance claim after a fire. The fire adjusters at PICC will apply our years of practical and professional experience to your fire loss claim. We have the knowledge and expertise to help you negotiate the complicated process required by your insurance carrier to get your fire claim paid in a fair and honest manner. So, should you hire a public adjuster when you have a fire? Read what Consumer Reports has to say about filing...

Understanding Public Adjuster vs Contractor

Who is best suited to assist you with your Insurance Claim when you suffer property damage, a Professionally Licensed Public Adjuster or Contractor? Many people are unsure of who to hire to represent their interest in an insurance claim, professionally licensed Public Adjuster or Contractor. BE CAREFUL! In the aftermath of any natural disaster you are sure to have a knock at you door by a contractor that only is asking for you to assign your insurance proceeds to them and for that they will ‘Represent’ your claim to the insurance company. BE CAREFUL – This is not legal in most cases! BEWARE of Contractors Acting as Public Adjusters when you suffer a loss. Although the contractor may understand the rebuilding process they most likely do not fully understand your insurance policy and this is very dangerous for you as the property owner. There are many different ways to look at a loss and I can tell you from experience,...

How to File a Claim with a Public Adjuster

Understanding the Claims Representation Process & How it Works A loss to your commercial property or home creates an unfamiliar environment and poses excessive demands on your time. Decisions involving thousands and sometimes millions of dollars must be made and often made quickly with little margin for error. A decision must be made early on whether this process is to be undertaken by the policyholder or whether the professional expertise of a public adjuster should be brought in. Time and again it has been demonstrated that when dealing in an area that is unfamiliar, the end result can be a loss in valuable time and money. Large or small, commercial or residential, properly handling a claim involves a structured process that when followed, will ensure it is processed properly and given the best chance of being honored and paid by your insurance carrier. The main services an adjuster will perform for you include: Analyze your policy to get the maximum...

Using a Public Adjuster vs. Managing Your Own Insurance Claim

Hiring a public adjuster to handle your property damage claim makes a difficult time much less stressful and has a direct impact on how much you ultimately collect from your insurer. The claims adjusters who work for your insurer are highly-trained professionals who determine how much your covered loss is worth. Keep in mind, though, that they make their determination from the insurance company’s perspective. A public adjuster represents your interests and has one objective: to obtain the best settlement possible for you. A Better Approach If you believe you’re entitled to a higher insurance settlement, hiring a public adjuster can be a smart choice. Here are the top five reasons you should hire a public adjuster instead of managing your own insurance claim. 1. They Work Exclusively for You Public adjusters understand everything there is to know about the insurance industry and can analyze your insurance policy down to the finest details. Throughout your claim process, they uphold your...

The Pros & Cons of Hiring a Public Adjuster

Deciding how to handle your home insurance claim can be a tricky, and worse, it usually comes at a time where you don’t need more work or decisions to make. Put simply, the pros of hiring a public adjuster are: PROS: CONS: Public Adjusters will need to be paid, and usually take a percentage of your claim The longer version of the story is this: Filling out a claim can be difficult. You will need to report your property damages to your insurance carrier properly. Then you will need to meet with your insurance adjuster to go over damages that you believe were the result of the cause and justify it to your insurance adjuster. Most Likely your insurance adjuster who is experienced in his field might want to bring in an expert to examine your causation as well. Hiring a professional public adjuster from the inception of your claim will make sure that your property damage insurance claim is...

Public Adjuster vs Independent Adjuster

PUBLIC ADJUSTERS VS INDEPENDENT ADJUSTERS: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? There are public adjusters and there are independent adjusters. What’s the difference between the two professionals? Is there a difference between a public adjuster and an independent adjuster? Today, we’re explaining everything you need to know about the difference between the two. INDEPENDENT ADJUSTERS WORK FOR THE INSURANCE COMPANY Many people think independent adjusters and public adjusters are two words for the same profession. That’s not true. There is absolutely a difference between public adjusters and independent adjusters – and it’s a very important difference. Both types of adjusters perform the same basic job: they adjust or manage your insurance claim to determine the claim settlement amount, if any, that applies. An independent adjuster, however, works for the insurance company. Despite the fact that they have “independent” in their name, an independent adjuster is not a free-wheeling mercenary. Instead, an independent adjuster is a contractor hired by your insurance company. Their ultimate...