Public Insurance Adjusters

 If you've suffered Property Damage, call a Public Adjuster right away! 

A public adjuster is an an advocate for the policyholder in appraising and negotiating an insurance claim. Public Adjusters exist because of the inherent conflict of interest that exists when one person or entity attempts to represent two sides of a financial transaction. Public adjusters are the only type of claims adjuster that can legally represent the rights of an insured during an insurance claim process. It is always a wise to let public adjuster review your claim even after you have settled with your insurer. Most of the time a public adjuster can re-open your claim and suppliment for more money if discreptency found.

There are three classes of insurance adjusters: staff adjusters (employed by an insurance company or self-insured entity), independent adjusters (independent contractors hired by the insurance company) and public adjusters (employed by the policyholder). "Company" or "Independent" adjusters can only legallly represent the rights of an insurance company.

Among other things, it is the public adjuster's responsibility to:

1. investigate all coverages that may be applicable to an insurance claim;
2. determine the appropriate values for settling all covered damages;
3. and then negotiate the best possible settlement with the insurance company on behalf of an insured.

Typically, most public adjusters are compensated based on a percentage of the total settlement they negotiate, which negotiated settlement should always show a net gain to the insured over and above what the insurance company would have offered had it not been for the public adjuster. Thus, through such a negotiation, the public adjuster's fee is justified. Public adjusters regularly succeed in negotiating for more settlement money than insurance companies usually initially offer, because insurance companies are often intent on settling claims based on what they would pay their preferred construction or other claim vendors, not based on what the entity or location from which an insured chooses to have the affected property repaired or replaced. However, the insured has the right to choose the repair entity, and so the public adjuster maintains this and other rights of insureds and the in process is able to negotiate a better settlement.

A large majority of policyholders are unaware that public adjusters even exist as an option to dealing directly with the insurance company representatives. A professional, conscientious public adjuster can make a tremendous difference in the amount of a policyholder's settlement.

FLORIDA PUBLIC ADJUSTER LOCATIONS