Find a public adjuster to manage your property insurance claim today! When you hire a public adjuster, it is essential to ensure they are trustworthy, dependable, and have the necessary experience. Hiring the wrong public adjuster can severely jeopardize your insurance claim and even damage your reputation with your insurer. In fact, the public adjuster industry is a highly specialized field that requires specifically trained professionals to do the job correctly. Therefore, hiring the wrong public adjuster can do more harm than good.

Settling an insurance claim can be a lengthy and challenging process, and you’re likely not an expert. To illustrate, you may not understand specific legal terms or lack knowledge of how the insurance industry works. For these reasons, dealing with an insurance company can be a very intimidating and stressful process. In fact, insurance companies know how much power they have over the average policyholder. After all, insurance companies are for-profit businesses. The specific goal of an insurance company is to issue the lowest payout they legally can pay without getting in trouble.

Regardless, this is what public adjusters are for. Public adjusters represent policyholders like you. Their goal is to handle your insurance claim from start to finish, maximize your settlement, and protect your rights. Finding the best public adjuster can provide enormous benefits to your insurance claim process and outcome. Find a public adjuster today!

When to Find a Public Adjuster

Generally, it’s in your best interest to hire a public adjuster if there’s a dispute between you and your insurance company. Or if you suspect your insurer is treating you unfairly, as well as for dealing with claims over $50,000. Public adjusters also take care of every single as[ect of your claim if you lack the time and experience.

However, you must know that public adjusters work on a contingency fee basis. Therefore, the adjuster gets a cut of your final settlement. It is a previously agreed-upon amount, usually between 10% to 15%. For this reason, the larger your claim is, the easier it will be to find a public adjuster to work on your case.

At the end of the day, hiring a public adjuster is a personal choice. But suppose you are filing a large claim and want to maximize your compensation. In that case, you must know that public adjusters receive substantially higher settlements.

How to Find a Public Adjuster

As mentioned above, the public adjuster industry is a highly specialized field. And like any field of work, there are good and bad public adjusters. For example, some states don’t have any licensing requirements for public adjusters. Which basically means anyone can pose as a public adjuster. However, most states have strict licensing requirements for public adjusters.

Finding and hiring the right public adjuster can be challenging. The policyholder may not know what makes a public adjuster good or which licenses, certifications, and qualifications to look for. This is specifically problematic after a natural disaster when public adjusters flock to the affected region to offer their services to policyholders. In fact, they might even go door-to-door, making big promises to homeowners. Read on below to learn how to identify a good public adjuster.

Things You Need to Look For in a Public Adjuster

First, Check The Public Adjuster’s Credentials

As said before, most states do require their public adjusters to be licensed. So when interviewing any future commercial or residential, public adjusters, don’t be afraid to ask for proof of their qualifications. And yes, including their licensing.

Second, Avoid Public Adjusters Who Make Soaring Promises

A public adjuster first needs to review your policy and damage in order to determine if you have a case at all. Therefore, it is not good news if you come across a public adjuster who makes bold claims about the settlement they can acquire and haven’t even seen your policy. So make a point to avoid them. You want a realistic and honest adjuster.

Furthermore, Don’t Doubt Asking For References & Referrals To Past Clients.

Experience is important when you’re hiring a public adjuster. However, not all experience is equal. To illustrate, a public adjuster with ten years of experience dealing with commercial property insurance claims might not be the right match for your home’s flood claim. Ideally, you’ll find a public adjuster with unique experience dealing with your specific type of claim.

Furthermore, get references from past clients to learn more about the public adjuster you’re planning to work with. For instance, you may want to ask about the settlement acquired, how long the process was, and how well the public adjuster communicated throughout the process. In short, if a public adjuster refuses to give you referrals, don’t work with them.

And Know How Much You Can Expect To Pay

Many factors impact the cost of hiring a public adjuster; including the complexity of the loss, the size of your property, and the circumstances surrounding your loss. Generally, public adjusters charge anywhere between 5-20% of your compensation. However, the more significant your loss, the lower the percentage is. To illustrate, they may charge 20% on a $35,000 claim, but 10% on a $150,000 claim. A public adjuster that charges less than this may not be reputable. For instance, the adjuster may be cutting costs and may not give your case the due diligence it deserves.

Moreover, make sure your public adjuster outlines the fee structure upfront. This way, you won’t get caught off guard by unexpected additional fees, and the payment agreement will be clear from the beginning. If you have already started negotiations with your insurance company and received a settlement offer, then the public adjuster might only charge a fee on any additional money added to that settlement.

Last But Certainly Not Least, Avoid Public Adjusters Who Pressure You Into A Decision

Your adjuster should not pressure you into signing anything before you fully understand what they can do for you. So if they aren’t willing to give you some space to think things over for a day or two, then they may not be the best choice for your needs.

Tips To Find Good Public Adjuster

First, Check with Your State Department of Insurance

Many states have directories online that allow you to confirm licensed public adjusters. You can also call your State Department of Insurance to do this. Or simply go with a known reputable public adjuster, like AllCity Public Adjusting.

Second, Find a NAPIA Member

Another good way to find a public adjuster is by looking into firms that are members of the National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters. Public adjusters from these companies have agreed to abide by the organization’s code of ethics. Plus, they are also licensed in the states that require it.

As Well As Check State and Regional Associations

Many states also have local public adjusting associations that provide online directories that you can use to confirm membership.

Visit the Company’s Website

Most legitimate public adjusters have a website like this one. Therefore, if a firm does not offer this or any other marketing materials, that may be a red flag.

Call the Better Business Bureau

You may also want to call your local Better Business Bureau in order to confirm if the company is a BBB Accredited Business and if any complaints have been filed against them.