FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Most policyholders take out an insurance policy in the hopes that they never have to use them. It goes without saying, however, that if an insured event does occur to trigger the policy, policyholders expect prompt assistance from the insurance company and full settlement based on the terms and conditions of the insurance policy.

In reality, the insured-insurer relationship is more adversarial than desired and to the detriment of the insured. The insurance company is a for-profit business and to meet its obligations to its stakeholders, it seeks to maximize profits. Unfortunately, one of the ways the insurance company does so is to minimize claim payouts to the insured, who is at their most vulnerable during a time of great distress.

The insured, having little to no experience in policy interpretation, much less managing an insurance claim, is often left at the mercy of the insurer. The insurance carrier uses its own experts to adjust the claim. Often, the insured is settled much less than they are due, and are therefore not made whole i.e., they are not restored to their pre-loss position.

This is where Public Adjusters come into the picture.

Outside of attorneys, public adjusters are the only professionals licensed to represent the interests of the policyholder in an insurance claim.

Below are the most frequently asked questions about public adjusters and property damage insurance claims.

  • What is a Public Adjuster?

    Public Adjusters are property loss experts that are legally able to represent you in your first-party insurance claim. Public Adjusters work for you, the policyholder, and not for the insurer. They work to prepare, file, adjust, and recover insurance claims for losses impacting you, their client.

  • What are the types of damage or claim can a public adjuster help me with?

    Public adjusters can help you with a wide range of claims, such as water damage, storm, wind & hurricane, flood, snow & winter storm, fire & smoke, sink holes, vandalism & malicious mischief, and more. 

    They can also assist you with business interruption, loss of rental income, additional living expenses, among others.

    If your home or business premises suffered any damage, contact a public adjuster to discuss your circumstances. 

  • What can a public adjuster do for me and how can they help me with my claim?

    If you need to make a claim with your insurance company, hiring a public adjuster is a wise decision. They’ll navigate the claim process and handle all negotiation with the insurance company. They’ll work to get you the largest settlement for all damages (including any homeowner or business expenses) you have incurred.

    Government statistics have shown that policyholders who worked with a public adjuster received as much as 574% more than those who managed their claim on their own.

    These are some ways that your public adjuster can add value to your claim:

    1.  Your Public Adjuster reviews your insurance policy to determine coverage. Most policyholders do not have the expertise and training to interpret policy wording. On your own, you are likely to overlook certain provisions in your policy. A significant portion of your Public Adjuster’s training is reviewing different kinds of insurance policies. Adding to that their day-to-day exposure to different insurance policies, your public adjuster can easily determine coverage following a review of your policy.
    2. Your public adjuster inspects the damage to your home, thoroughly examining and documenting the severity and extent of the damage. In many instances, these are not obvious to the untrained eye. Without the assistance of an experienced public adjuster, you could potentially be out of pocket thousands of dollars for damage you discover much later.
    3. Your public adjuster can evaluate business interruption losses and any additional expense claims for your business. This is another aspect of your claim where you could potentially be underpaid if you don’t know how to properly substantiate your loss. An experienced public adjuster can properly guide you.
    4. Your public adjuster values your loss and substantiates them with documents such as estimates that accurately reflect the extent of such damage and any additional expenses incurred such as mitigation costs. Your public adjuster prepares and collates all the necessary documentation that support your claim.
    5. Your public adjuster negotiates a settlement with your insurance carrier on your behalf and with your consent. Your public adjuster will never accept an offer without your explicit instructions.

    Overall, your public adjuster takes the burden of managing a claim off you and ensures you receive the highest possible settlement to make you whole again.

  • What is the extent of my public adjuster’s responsibility?

    Your public adjuster helps you with every state of the claim process – reviewing your policy to determine coverage, documenting the loss, attending an inspection with the insurance company’s adjuster, preparing estimates, preparing any other claim documentation, dealing with the insurance company, and negotiating the settlement according with your consent.

    While it is outside of their general responsibility, JF Public Adjusters are happy to assist you with arranging mitigation services immediately following the loss. We can also help you find the best contractors in your area to complete the required repairs and restoration to your home or business premises.

  • What do I need to look for in a public adjuster?

    First, ensure they have a public adjuster license in your state.

    Visit the company’s website, phone and read their online reviews.

    Request a consultation and ask about fees. Beware of extremely low fees that sound too good to be true!

    For a complete guide on this topic, visit one of our client resources – How To Choose a Public Adjuster. Want to partner with a team of Expert New York City Public Adjusters, phone us for immediate assistance at 917-272-8793.

  • Will a public insurance adjuster help me receive a more prompt and satisfactory settlement?

    Yes. When you hire a public adjuster, you are leaving the management of your claim to a trained and experienced claim professional. They work on claims and deal with insurance companies day in and day out. As such, they know the step-by-step process to move the claim expeditiously to settlement. On your own, you could be left at the mercy of the insurer and have your claim delayed unnecessarily.

    An experienced public adjuster like JF Public Adjusters will also be careful and thorough in documenting the loss, fully aware that a misstep at this stage could cost the policyholder thousands.

    A public adjuster would be able to obtain estimates that accurately reflect the loss so that the claim can be prompty settled. Having very low estimates may get your claim settled quickly, however, you will suffer significant loss, having to bear some or most of the cost of repairs and restoration yourself. Conversely, having excessively high estimates delays the claim process as the insurance company and your adjuster go back and forth arguing out each point on the estimate. An expert adjuster will be able to obtain estimates that match the damage so that the claim is not delayed at the negotiation stage.

    Overall, having an expert like JF Public Adjusters will help you receive a quicker and better settlement than you would receive managing the claim on your own.

  • Are public adjusters connected with insurance companies?

    No. Public Adjusters do not work for insurance companies. Their license only allows them to represent policyholders like you in an insurance claim.

  • Why should I engage a public insurance adjuster when my insurer already provided an adjuster?

    The adjusters that you deal with from insurance companies (staff/desk adjusters, field adjusters, independent adjusters) work for the insurance company; they do not necessarily have your best interests in mind.

    You need someone who works for you that has the experience and knowledge to level the playing field with your insurance company and get you the settlement commensurate to your loss.

  • What is the difference between an insurance adjuster and a public adjuster?

    A public adjuster works for you, and never for the insurance company. They will assess and file your claim and complete a loss and repair estimate. This estimate is separate to the estimate prepared by the independent adjuster who is employed by the insurance company. 

    Your public adjuster will negotiate the adjustment to get you the largest payout possible.

  • Who pays the public adjuster and how much do they charge for their services?

    Public insurance adjusters get hired by and work on the behalf of you the policyholder. 

    Your public adjuster gets paid an agreed-upon fee, usually a percentage of whatever amount they are able to recover for you.

    Since your public insurance adjuster’s fee is a percentage of the insurance company’s settlement with you, they, too, benefit by getting you the highest possible settlement.

  • How much will my insurer pay in the event of a loss?

    The amount of your settlement will depend on a number of factors, including:

    1. The type and amount of insurance policy you have
    2. The extent of the loss
    3. The documentation you/your public adjuster provided to support the claim
    4. Your/your public adjuster’s negotiation skills.

    An expert public adjuster working for you can get you the maximum settlement to which you are entitled.

  • What do I need to do in the event of a loss?

    You must report the loss immediately to your agent, broker, or insurance company.

    You should hire a public insurance adjuster who will guide you through the claim process from its early stages to avoid mistakes that could cost you thousands.

    You must also take care to mitigate further damage to the property. You may need the services of Emergency Mitigation Services such as plumbers, roofers, and other contractors to prevent damage from spreading to the rest of the property, or prevent the elements from causing damage to your property. A public adjuster should be able to assist you with arranging EMS to your property.

States We Work In

We’re licensed to provide public adjusting services in these states (and more!):

NEW YORK PUBLIC ADJUSTER STATE SEAL

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  • We ensure that you receive the maximum settlement you’re eligible for.
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