The losses suffered by Puerto Ricans due to natural disasters in recent years have made the insurance industry hugely important on the Island.
Public adjusters play a significant role in our insurance system. If you’re considering hiring a public adjuster to assist you with a claim, you may well be wondering how much the service is likely to cost.
Read on as we examine public insurance adjuster fees.
If you hire a public insurance adjuster, they will take over many aspects of the claims process. They will see to much of the required documentation, and negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf.
Insurance companies provide such an adjuster free of charge. However, because of the obvious benefits of having an adjuster with no connection to the insurance company, many claimants choose to hire a third party adjuster.
Should I Hire a Public Insurance Adjuster?
If you’re making a claim that is complicated or is likely to be contested by the insurance company, a public insurance adjuster might be a wise investment.
insurance companies will do anything they can to deny your claim, or limit its value. Their business model depends on paying out as little in claim money as they can.
Therefore, it is often useful to have someone on your side who knows how to counteract their various tactics. Public insurance adjusters are trained and experienced in this area.
Many claimants feel that the insurance company adjuster does not act with their best interests at heart. In this case, hiring a public insurance adjuster may be the most effective way to secure a fair settlement.
Public Insurance Adjuster Fees: How Much Is the Service Likely to Cost?
Public adjusters often charge commissions rather than fixed fees. This means that, in many cases, public insurance adjusters make no money if your claim isn’t successful.
It also means that the money they make is dependent on the value of their claim. This incentivizes them to get you as good a deal as they possibly can.
They will charge fees in certain circumstances, however. Flat charges may be levied when a claim process is especially long or requires in-depth work.
Fees may also be applicable where the assistance of a third party is required. This will most commonly be a lawyer. Where there is a criminal element to a claim, or a lot of legalistic work to be done in relation to it, the help of an attorney will be required.
The percentage charged as commission is usually between 10-20%.
Making the Most of Your Claim
The benefits of hiring a public insurance adjuster are clear to see. While public insurance adjuster fees might be off-putting initially, it is important to consider the potential cost of not hiring one if your claim becomes difficult.
If you’re thinking about hiring a public insurance adjuster, contact us today for a free consultation.
Although much of the island of Puerto Rico was spared a direct hit from recent earthquakes, the impact from the 6.6 magnitude, was felt almost everywhere. As a result, the entire Island lost electricity and many are still without. The southern area of the Island has experienced significant damage to their homes and properties. One person lost their life and hundreds are sleeping outside. As everyone is bracing for replica earthquakes, the recovery must begin across the southern part of the Island. Homeowners, business and commercial property owners will be submitting insurance claims to cover damages from the earthquakes. The exact period of damage or technical incidents when it involves a series of storms or earthquakes, can be purposefully made to be confusing and overwhelming by the Insurance companies. Don’t let this cost you or delay your recovery.
Follow these tips for filing an effective earthquake damage insurance claim to help get the insurance settlement you deserve for the damage to your home or business.
First, we understand the trauma associated with devastating storms and earthquakes. If you feel anxious, and need help filing your claim, or if you’re having trouble dealing with the insurance company, the Public Adjusting Team of Global Claim Advisors can help! We have decades of experience negotiating with insurance companies and helping our clients obtain the compensation they deserve for their claims.
Call Global Claim Advisors, Toll Free at 800-316-0841
5 Steps to Take After a Hurricane
Once it is safe to return to your home, you should begin gathering the information necessary to support your insurance claim.
Take Note of Damaged Property
Inventory your home, making note of the personal property that was damaged as well as damages to the home.
Take photos and video of the damage to support your claim. You should have also taken photos of your property during your preparations before the storm. These will be important to show the extent of the damage compared to before the storm.
If you have receipts of high-value items, include copies with your claim to accurately assign a value to the item.
Contact Your Insurance Company as Soon as Possible
File your claim as soon as possible. Insurers typically begin to process claims as they are received – with the massive volume of claims expected after a hurricane, you could be waiting quite a while for your claim to be processed if you wait to submit it.
Contact your insurer and follow its procedures for filing a damage claim. Inform your insurer that you have compiled a list of damages and let them know if you were forced to relocate. An adjuster will be assigned to assess your property for damages to determine the amount of your settlement.
At this time, you should also take a moment to review the details of your insurance policy to ensure you know what is an is not covered. Most flooding damage is not covered by a traditional homeowner’s insurance policies, while damage from wind or fallen trees should be.
It is also important that you review the “Duties After Loss” portion of your policy. If you fail to properly follow these instructions, you may ruin your chances of recovering compensation.
Limit Cleaning and Repairs
While you may want to get to work restoring your property right away, do not make changes until an insurance adjuster has assessed your home.
If temporary repairs are necessary, photograph the area thoroughly before making the repair. Make temporary fixes rather than extensive repairs. You also should not dispose of any damaged materials until cleared to do so by your insurance adjuster.
This is important because if you clean up messes left by hurricane damage and make repairs, the adjuster will not see firsthand the damage caused by the storm – this could lower the insurer’s settlement offer.
Contact Contractors
Contact area contractors to obtain quotes to repair the damage to your home or property. Following a hurricane, contractors are in high demand – waiting to call can add months to your wait before your home can be repaired.
You should obtain estimates before your insurance adjuster assesses your home to give yourself a better idea of the costs associated with repairs. You will want to know the full cost of repairing your home before accepting any offers from the insurance company.
Keep Records
Keep a record of all communication with your insurer. Record when you made phone calls, what responses you received, as well as all email and mail communication.
Insurers must complete specific tasks within a designated timeframe after receiving a hurricane damage claim – know what their process is and when you should expect answers or further communication and be diligent about following up with the insurance company.
Contact Our Public Adjusters in Puerto Rico and the Florida Panhandle, Right Away
Get the compensation you deserve for earthquake damages to your home. GCA Public Adjusters are highly qualified and experienced to negotiate a fair settlement from your insurer. If necessary, we are prepared to work with an attorney to take your case to trial and to help secure maximized compensation.
Schedule a free, no-obligation case consultation with our team today. Our cases are accepted on a contingency basis. So you only pay a modest fee, if we are successful in securing compensation for you!
No matter how many preparations you make, natural disasters happen and they can completely destroy your home or business. That’s why property insurance exists. Did you know that 1 in 20 insured homeowners end up filing a property damage claim every year?
Navigating the property insurance claim process on your own proves confusing for most people. Hiring a public adjuster can help.
Learn more about public insurance adjusters and their role in the claims process below.
What is a Public Insurance Adjuster?
Filing an insurance claim requires a lot of time, paperwork, math, and understanding of the insurance industry. As a policyholder, you probably don’t know a lot about the intricacies of your policy and the insurance industry as a whole.
An insurance adjuster helps you to file your claim or dispute the amount offered by your insurance company.
Most policyholders simply use the adjuster their insurance company provides as a part of their service. However, sometimes a policyholder prefers to hire an outside, public insurance adjuster.
4 Reasons to Hire a Public Adjuster
Are you trying to decide between using the insurance company’s adjuster and hiring your own public insurance adjuster? Here are 4 reasons why someone may choose to hire a public adjuster instead.
1. Poor Communication
Before you decide to go with a public adjuster you need to speak with the adjuster provided by your insurance company. Ask them questions and get a feel for how you communicate with one another.
If you feel that the adjuster doesn’t quite understand your claim or isn’t listening to your concerns, then it’s time to look for public representation.
2. Get a Fair Settlement
When you hire an outside, public insurance adjuster, they work for you and not the insurance company.
This guarantees they have your best interests at heart. They want to achieve an outcome most favorable for you rather than the insurance company.
3. Defend Your Policyholder Rights
Hiring a public adjuster to get a second opinion on your claim helps you know for sure the provided adjuster hasn’t low-balled your loss estimate. An adjuster can also point out any other losses the policyholder may not know they have a right to claim.
A public adjuster will fight against the insurance company’s decision if you think they offer too little. Or if you disagree with their interpretation of your policy’s wording.
4. No Time to Deal with the Process
Finally, people often choose to hire a public insurance adjuster simply because they don’t have time to play an active roll in the process.
A public adjuster knows the industry and the lingo. They also have experience dealing with the complicated math and calculations used in claims forms.
Hiring a public adjuster to work on your claim means it gets the attention and expertise needed for acceptance.
Finding the Best Public Adjuster Near Me in Puerto Rico
Now you should know when you to consider hiring a public insurance adjuster rather than going with the company-provided one.
A public adjuster will often evaluate your claim for free before deciding whether to take it on. They do charge a fee, but the greater number of losses claimed and larger payout outweighs this.
Are you looking for the best public adjuster to help you file a claim in Puerto Rico?
Look no further than Global Claim Advisors!
Their property insurance experts dedicate themselves to helping policyholders get a successful resolution for their claim. Contact Global Claim Advisors today to start the evaluation process and get more for your property insurance claim!
