| What is a Public Adjuster and What Do They Do? | | | | while the adjustment and negotiation is in process is |
| | | | often the most valuable part of the entire process. |
| In California, there are three types of licensed | | | | Public Adjusters will keep you from signing |
| Insurance Adjusters | | | | documents that you shouldn't, and they will make |
| According to CAPIA, the California Association of | | | | sure you keep the right documentation of your |
| Professional Insurance Adjusters ( a Company | | | | expenses. They will also do their best to make sure |
| Adjuster is employed by the Insurance Company to | | | | you do not make any mistakes that will delay or |
| represent the company in dealing with your loss and | | | | damage your claim. |
| damages. The Company Adjuster's main responsibility | | | | |
| is to protect the interests of the Insurance | | | | Good Public Adjusters understand your tears, fears |
| Company. | | | | and anger. They won't cut you off or walk away |
| An Independent Adjuster is hired by the Insurance | | | | from your emotions. A good Public Adjuster will take |
| Company to represent the company in dealing with | | | | the time to listen; they will help make your life as |
| your loss and damages. The Independent Adjuster's | | | | livable as possible while the claim adjustment is |
| main responsibility is also to protect the interests of | | | | underway. |
| the Insurance Company. | | | | |
| A Public Adjuster is the only Adjuster specifically | | | | One of the most difficult and challenging aspects of |
| licensed by the State of California to represent you, | | | | filing a claim is creating an inventory list of your |
| the Insured. The Public Adjuster's main responsibility is | | | | possessions and assigning correct replacement values |
| to protect you and your interests in claims against a | | | | to those items. A good Public Adjuster will show you |
| loss with the Insurance Company. | | | | how to do this - tips and tricks that will help the |
| In addition to California, currently more than 43 | | | | property owner recall what was lost as well as the |
| other states and the District of Columbia require an | | | | best ways to figure out and calculate replacement |
| adjuster to hold this licensure in order to represent | | | | costs. Many Public Adjusters can actually do this work |
| the insured. | | | | for you - researching the value of particular items |
| According to NAPIA, the National Association of | | | | you lost and how much it will cost to replace them. |
| Public Insurance Adjusters, "Public Adjusters are | | | | Doing this kind of research can consume many hours |
| professionals who are employed exclusively by a | | | | a day. For many disaster survivors it is much more |
| policyholder who has sustained an insured loss. They | | | | efficient and less heartbreaking to have their Public |
| handle every detail of the claim, working closely with | | | | Adjuster do that for them. |
| the insured to provide the most equitable and prompt | | | | |
| settlement possible. A Public Adjuster inspects the | | | | Ok, lets talk about money. |
| loss site immediately, analyzes the damages, | | | | |
| assembles claim support data, reviews the insured's | | | | Your Public Adjuster will work with you and various |
| coverage, determines current replacement costs and | | | | construction, restoration and repair professionals who |
| exclusively serves the client, not the insurance | | | | know LOCAL conditions, prices, and current building |
| company." | | | | codes in order to develop an accurate estimate of |
| | | | | what it will take to truly rebuild your property to its |
| What does that mean? | | | | previous condition. This includes various improvements |
| If you are overwhelmed by a process of | | | | and additions that you have made to the property, |
| determining what coverages you have and then | | | | as well as upgrades that are now required to meet |
| calculating the amount of your loss, you may | | | | local building codes – as long as you have the |
| consider speaking with a Public Insurance Adjuster. | | | | appropriate coverages. |
| Insurance policies can be very complex and difficult | | | | |
| to understand. Often coverage is excluded in one | | | | Your Public Adjuster will also review the costs of |
| section of the policy and then granted back to you in | | | | rebuilding your outbuildings and additional structures |
| another section. It is also very important for the | | | | such as a garage, patio, pool house, etc. Public |
| insured to meet all of the policy conditions in order to | | | | Adjusters will also review and prepare estimates to |
| be paid on their claim. If you have ever had the | | | | restore your landscaping based upon your specific |
| unfortunate experience of suffering a loss and going | | | | coverage. Many people forget the many tens of |
| through the claim process, you will understand what a | | | | thousands of dollars they had spent on plants, |
| daunting ordeal it can become. | | | | materials and labor required to create a |
| However, after a disaster, insurance companies | | | | well-landscaped yard. Your homeowners insurance |
| often discourage claimants from hiring a Public | | | | policy should cover that restoration as well. |
| Adjuster. | | | | |
| According to United Policy Holders, a non-profit, | | | | A good Public Insurance Adjuster understands a wide |
| tax-exempt organization dedicated to educating the | | | | range of insurance policies. They have seen plenty of |
| public on insurance issues and consumer rights, "This | | | | insurance policies and have been trained to |
| happens all the time. Insurance companies don't want | | | | understand the various policy language, |
| the insured to be on an even playing field. They want | | | | endorsements, exclusions riders and schedules. The |
| to control the situation and not deal with someone as | | | | language is often so convoluted that even the |
| or more knowledgeable than they are. Insurers are | | | | professionals may not agree on what the policy is |
| predisposed to minimize claim payments. Public | | | | actually saying. This is when an experienced and |
| Adjusters are predisposed to maximize claim | | | | educated public adjuster can make all the difference. |
| payments." | | | | |
| Public Adjusters help you get your life back. Instead | | | | According to NAPIA, " The typical fire policy contains |
| of using up all your waking hours battling with the | | | | hundreds of provisions and stipulations - various |
| insurance company, your Public Adjuster does that | | | | forms and riders that are constantly changing and |
| for you. A good Public Adjuster works with you to | | | | many complex details about your requirements in |
| maximize your time so that you can get your daily | | | | case of loss. Most people do not know or understand |
| life, your family life, and your work life back in order | | | | these policy provisions - and most do not realize that |
| while the Public Adjuster and the Insurance Company | | | | the burden of proof is on them, the policyholder. |
| negotiate to get your home and possessions as close | | | | Most insurance company representatives actually |
| as possible to the state they were in before the | | | | prefer to work with an experienced accredited public |
| disaster. | | | | insurance adjuster rather than an inexperienced |
| Experienced Public Adjusters are familiar with the | | | | insured." |
| local insurance companies, their representatives and | | | | Unlike an insurance company adjuster, a good Public |
| their regional adjusters. They may have worked | | | | Adjuster will take the time to go through ALL your |
| together before and may be able to effectively | | | | policy documents to make sure you are getting ALL |
| come up with a plan that will maximize the insured's | | | | the money that you are entitled to. |
| insurance claim payment without requiring a lot of | | | | |
| heated discussion and argument. It makes sense to | | | | What if you are under insured? |
| let two professionals amicably settle your claim while | | | | |
| you go ahead and live your life. | | | | As a result of the wildfires that swept through |
| The insurance company adjuster knows that the | | | | Southern California in 2003 and 2007, it became |
| Public Adjuster is an expert with the intricacies of | | | | evident that many homeowners were not properly |
| insurance policies and negotiation, and therefore he or | | | | insured. Sometimes it was their fault - they |
| she is much more likely to come up with a larger, | | | | deliberately made a decision to not pay for the |
| more accurate and acceptable offer. Like with most | | | | insurance they needed. However, in many cases, as |
| business negotiations, the easier and more | | | | their homes had increased in value, as they added |
| professional the discussion (i.e. no emotion), the more | | | | improvements, and as overall repair and replacement |
| likely the settlement to be biased towards the | | | | costs skyrocketed, their policy was not reviewed to |
| policyholder. | | | | see if it had appropriate amounts of coverage to |
| | | | | meet the replacement cost burden of the home. |
| How a Good Public Adjuster Can Help Save Your | | | | |
| Family and Your Emotions | | | | A good Public Adjuster understands the impact and |
| | | | | reality of under insurance and in certain cases, can |
| One of the biggest challenges in coming to a solution | | | | work with the insurance company to get you monies |
| that is acceptable to all parties in a disaster insurance | | | | for coverage that you should have had but were not |
| case is emotion and anger. For the homeowner who | | | | offered or provided. |
| has lost everything, this is a very emotional time. | | | | |
| Your spouse may be devastated and angry. Your | | | | Why does a property owner need a Public Adjuster? |
| children are devastated, lost and confused. | | | | |
| Everything they know is gone. You may have even | | | | According to NAPIA, "The highly stressful period |
| lost your family pet in the disaster. | | | | following a loss is a difficult time for individuals and |
| | | | | businesses. A Public Adjuster can take those major |
| This emotional roller coaster can tear families apart. | | | | headaches away and let you get back to your home |
| Now, add the stress of compiling all necessary | | | | or business. A typical fire or flood policy contains |
| rebuilding costs and the strain of negotiating with the | | | | hundreds of provisions and stipulations, constantly |
| insurance company and the insurance company's | | | | changing forms and endorsements, and many |
| adjusters and you will find yourself in a very difficult | | | | complex details such as inventory appraisals and real |
| environment. | | | | estate evaluations that are required in case of a loss. |
| | | | | Most policyholders do not know that the burden of |
| It is common to feel helpless and desperate after a | | | | proof is theirs. Public Adjusters know the insurance |
| fire destroys all of your possessions. Having to then | | | | business and are familiar with all procedures so they |
| suffer through the indignity and endless questions | | | | can work quickly to expedite payments." |
| from a seemingly uncaring insurance claims | | | | |
| representative is enough to send the most sane and | | | | By using a good Public Adjuster, not only will you get |
| calm person over the edge. | | | | properly compensated for your insured losses, but |
| | | | | you will also be able to avoid much of the conflict, |
| By letting a qualified public adjuster work on your | | | | anger and helplessness that can sometimes arise |
| behalf, you will be saving yourself a great deal of | | | | when adjusting an insurance claim on your own. |
| emotional turmoil. | | | | Consider your family - your spouse and children. |
| | | | | Consider your job. Do you have the available time |
| Most insurance policy holders who have been through | | | | and energy necessary to deal with the insurance |
| the process say this is the biggest benefit of using a | | | | company? A good Public Adjuster will get you |
| Public Adjuster. Yes, getting a big payout is good but | | | | what you are owed and may save both your career |
| the fact they are once again able to live their lives | | | | and your family by not monopolizing your time. |