Homeowner’s insurance policies are designed to protect homeowners against financial losses due to a variety of occurrences. If your home has been damaged by fire, water or flooding, it is important to bring your insurance company up to speed about the situation right away. As a part of the process, they will assign you a claims adjuster. Make no mistake, however: Their claims adjuster works for them–not you. If you live in Long Island and want someone by your side to protect your best interests during the fire or water damage claims process, the public insurance adjusters of Republic Claims are here to help.
What is a Public Adjuster?
As the name implies, a public adjuster works for members of the public as opposed to private insurance companies. Rather than be automatically assigned to you when you file a claim, you must seek them out and hire them yourself. Their role is to assist you with the claims process. This typically includes interpreting your homeowner’s insurance policy, assessing damages and calculating the cost to repair them and negotiating with the insurance company on your behalf.
When Should You Hire a Public Adjuster?
While insurance company supplied adjusters don’t charge fees to policyholders–they are paid by the insurance company–public adjusters do. In most cases, they charge 10 to 20 percent of the settlement price. People hire public adjusters for many reasons. Sometimes, it’s just because they don’t have the time to focus on the claims process. More often, however, it is because they want someone to advocate strictly for them. A good rule of thumb is that it’s worth it to hire a public adjuster when damages total $10,000 or more.
Many times, people start out working with insurance company adjusters. When they realize that these adjusters are omitting damages from claims, not communicating effectively or otherwise not being helpful, they often turn to public adjusters. As a general rule, however, it is better to have a public adjuster from square one.
The Claims Process and How a Public Adjuster Can Help
To the uninitiated, the claims process for flood or fire damage is very confusing. The insurance company will take the lead if you don’t hire a public adjuster, but you will be responsible for getting paperwork to them on time and for handling many other things. It is very easy to miss deadlines or to otherwise make mistakes that delay the processing of a claim.
With the help of an independent claims consultant, or public adjuster, you take the reins. While you still have to adhere to the insurance company’s requirements, it’s far easier to meet them with skilled assistance at your disposal. Public insurance adjusters are more thorough than insurance company adjusters, and they make sure that every possible loss is included in your claim. This means that many times, claims that are processed with the help of a public adjuster tend to result in higher settlements, fewer hassles and fewer delays.
Call Republic Claims Today
The role of a public insurance adjuster in the fire, flood or water damage claims process is indispensable. If you live in Long Island, are facing losses due to fire, water or flood damage and need to file a claim against your homeowner’s insurance policy, don’t leave things to chance. Be proactive by enlisting the help of a skilled public adjuster from Republic Claims. We’re ready when you are, so give us a call today.
