Residential Property Damage Claims

Residential property owners’ have insurance policies that often cover the house and personal property at replacement cost. Their insurance policy will often cover additional costs of maintaining a person’s previous standard of living while the property is being repaired or replaced. What we are trying to say is that All American Public Adjusters, Inc. knows that your home is much more than just a valuable investment. It is more an essential part of your life and lifestyle and a place where you keep your most valuable possessions, including your family. We recognize those things, so you can rest assured that we will put all of our knowledge and resources to work fighting for the full value of your policy.

Licensed public adjusters face a unique combination of challenges from insured’s, which might be quite upset or irate about their losses, and from the losses themselves, which may or may not be covered by the insured’s’ policies. In order to efficiently oversee a public adjusters claims for residences, adjusters must possess a great deal of technical skill and knowledge, as well as public relations and interpersonal skills. The procedures the adjuster follows can ensure a successful claim result that will satisfy the insured as well as the insurer.

In order for a public adjuster to perform a successful claim, the inspection needs to be careful and thorough in order to precisely determine if the loss is covered. Possibly, just as important is the interaction he has with the insured as he inspects the damage. Depending on the size and scope of the loss, the adjuster may wish to take one of several different approaches.

As part of evaluating the property damage, photographs of the damage should be taken. In some instances, the adjuster may not be sure about how to restore an item to its original condition. If this happens, our adjusters can take extra photographs, which can later be shown to engineers and other experienced, knowledgeable adjusters to determine how to handle that item.

Our adjuster should end their inspection by reviewing the damages with the insured. They should find out if the insured has any questions, and answer them. All American Public Adjusters, Inc. will report back to the insured for any follow-up information they may receive from the insurance company or any other individual participating in collecting the money for the insured’s damages.

There are three (3) main points that the adjuster must answer and examine in order to sufficiently file a claim with the insurance company.

DETERMINING COVERAGE

1. Are the damages covered? Licensed public adjusters must be very familiar with and able to accurately interpret the insured’s policy provisions. Damage must be evaluated in view of those provisions, and judgments made accordingly. There are many cases where the insured has suffered a loss, but the damage is not covered by the policy. An example might be paint damage on the exterior of the property. There may be no coverage for those types of damages on the insured’s policy.

2. How much will it cost to settle the insured’s loss? The adjuster’s role consists of determining the dollar amount of the loss. The settlement of the property damage for an amount that seems reasonable is probably the insured’s biggest concern. The adjuster must be skilled at making a fair and reasonable assessment.

3. Is there any way to get money back? If another party possibly contributed to the loss, this must be determined in case the insurer wants to get back the loss payment. Consequently, it is important for public adjusters to have a working knowledge of residential construction.

SCOPING THE LOSS AND SETTLING THE CLAIM

When scoping the property damage, the public adjuster must determine what needs to be done in order to return the insured’s property to its original condition. There are five options that need to be addressed:

1. Replace. The item is damaged and must be replaced.

2. Repair. The item is broken and can be fixed.

3. Paint or Refinish.

4. Remove and Reset.

5. Clean.

Our adjusters will always maintain a good relationship with the insured. In order for us to settle a claim, the scope of the work must be agreed to. If the estimate and evaluation cannot be agreed upon then no settlement can be made. We work for the policy holder and we have their best interest in mind.

CONCLUSION

All American Public Adjusters, Inc. are licensed and trained to present them selves in a professional manner, listen carefully to insured’s, notes all of the information provided, and appropriately apply their technical expertise to loss situations. We have been successful in arranging satisfying settlements for insured’s. Not only will this make the insured’s feel that they are being treated well, but it should also ensure customer preservation for the insurer. Please view our link to get an example of a breakdown of a claim and some statistics of what we have collected for other individuals.