Public Adjuster

Anyone considering filing a property Insurance claim should also think about hiring a Public Adjuster, especially if the claim is for a large amount or involves more than one type of coverage in the policy. When you hire a public adjuster at the start, your claim is assigned to a more experienced adjuster at the very beginning and the process tends to take less time. As a policyholder, you have little to lose: Remedy Claims will visit a property loss free of charge to help determine the severity of damage and whether you should file an Insurance claim.

Even if you are confident in the dollar value of your property loss, it is good practice to get a second opinion especially on a costly event like a home Insurance claim. Frequently, Carrier Adjusters visit a home or business and find that their loss estimate is far below what it should be. Public Adjusters are experienced professionals and it’s very unlikely they will leave out costs in their calculations that a policyholder might forget or not know about. For example, if part of a roof is destroyed by wind, a homeowners risks miscalculating the cost of a new roof and neglecting to include the cost of removing the damaged roof or the cost of each of the components needed to properly install the roofing system.

Submitting an organized, accurate, and detailed claim is crucial to getting the right about of money from an Insurance Carrier to cover a property loss. Remember, even the best homeowners Insurance Carriers will rarely pay more than the amount claimed. Policyholders need to be conscious of whether they are claiming the correct amount. Hiring a Public Adjuster can help ensure that.

Many Public Adjusters do not charge a fee to visit the site of a loss and determine whether they will work with a policyholder on a claim. However, they do charge a fee for working with a policyholder to file a claim. Remedy Claims Consulting does not charge a fee for inspections.

Typically, a Public Adjuster will charge a percentage of whatever the Insurance Carrier ultimately pays for a claim. For example, say a policyholder hires a Public Adjuster with a 10% fee and their Insurance Carrier ultimately pays $100,000 for their claim. The policyholder would then owe the Public Adjuster $10,000.

The fee percentage varies between Public Adjusters and is usually capped by local or state law. For example, in the state of Texas, fees cannot exceed 10% of the total claim value.

There are several things a policyholder can do to make sure they are hiring a good Public Adjuster. The first thing they should check is whether the Public Adjuster can legally practice. Public Insurance Adjusters must be licensed in every individual state they practice in. Like other professionals, they also must be bonded and participate in continuing education courses to maintain their licensure. Do not work with any individual, such as a contractor or an attorney, that offers to provide claim adjustment services if they are not licensed to do so. Practicing without a license is against the law and the license is an important benchmark of knowledge and qualification.

More than likely, you will be working with the Public Adjuster who does your initial consultation. As a policyholder, you might prefer to work personally with a single Adjuster, but having a firm utilize more than one insurance professional might not be a bad thing. At Remedy Claims Consulting, you may need work with two Public Adjusters. This will typically happen when the loss involves personal property. Our Contents Public Adjusters will assist you with all personal property and additional living expenses.

Ask what types of claims they have worked on, and do they have experience with your Insurance Carrier? Ask Public Adjusters how long they have worked in the industry and what types of claims they have worked on. 

A Public Adjuster generally handles the entirety of a claim for their clients and update the client if there is a change, delay, or settlement offer. At Remedy Claims Consulting, we will keep you and your chosen contractor updated throughout the claim process and as statuses change. 

Your Public Adjuster cannot be your general contractor. It is unlawful to do so.

Policyholders who file a claim and receive a proposed settlement from their Insurance Carrier they see as unfair might think they need to hire an attorney to dispute their claim. In that case, they usually do not – they need to hire a Public Adjuster.

In fact, policyholders commonly hire Public Insurance Adjusters at that point in the claims process. A Public Adjuster can assist them in reopening a claim and filing a supplemental claim for additional payments with their Insurance Carrier.

However, if a Public Adjuster negotiates with an insurance company and still believes the policyholder is owed a larger settlement than the Insurance Carrier is willing to provide, you may have to turn to litigation. Remedy Claims Consulting works very closely with Hunter Klein of Green Klein & Wood. Hunter is a Founding Partner based out of the firm’s Houston office and maintains a national practice in the first party insurance arena, with an emphasis in bad faith carrier conduct.