Following a property loss, your financial recovery depends almost entirely on the proper handling of the insurance claim process. Right away, you need to familiarize yourself with the insurance policy, understand your rights and responsibilities and appraise and document all your losses to file your claim and prove your loss to the insurance company.
Understandably, you may feel overwhelmed by the demands of the process. You may have questions and concerns, worry about the outcome, while still shaken from your loss. Assessing the property losses is a difficult and laborious process. Contents may have been completely destroyed by the fire, your house may be unsafe to live in, or you may suspect that the damages are more extensive than it meets the eye. You likely have questions that your policy, with its legal jargon and vague language, doesn’t quite answer. You could use someone to turn to.
There’s the insurance company, and you need to contact them right away. They will send out their own adjuster to survey your property loss. But with your financial recovery riding on it, is it wise to rely on the insurance company for a fair appraisal of your damages, or even impartial advice? The insurance claim process is, in the end, a zero-sum game. Your gain their loss (and vice versa). Insurance companies have an army of experts at their disposal, from legal teams to appraisers, adjusters, fraud departments, etc., who are working to minimize the losses of their employers. Insurers are required by law required to treat your claim fairly, but there are many grey areas in interpreting insurance law, and they can easily raise questions about the validity of your claim, and often get away with grossly underpaying for damages. Is there anything you can do to be on par with the insurance company?
Hire a public adjuster – your own advocate in the insurance claim process.
A public adjuster looks out for your interests only and acts as your advocate in the claim process. Having a public adjuster on your side, to guide you through the insurance claim process and fight for your rights, will bring relief and increase your chances for a favorable settlement. A public adjuster will independently appraise your losses, file the claim timely and accurately, advise you through the claim process and deal with all aspects of the claim.
Public adjusters are state licensed professionals that work on behalf of the policyholders, to represent their interests in the claim process following a property loss. Unlike the insurance adjusters that work directly or on a contract basis for the insurance company, a public adjuster’s interests are aligned with those of the insureds. When hired by the homeowner or business owners to represent them in the property claim process, the public adjusters’ only mission is to get the best settlement for their client.
There are 3 types of adjusters:
You may think that, after you suffer a property loss, the insurance company will jump to your rescue and pay for all your losses right away. The reality is, in fact, very different.
It falls under the policyholder’s responsibility to prove the losses and the extent of the damages. Also, the policyholder has some legal obligations, such as filing the claim by a specific date and providing proper documentation. If these conditions are not met, the insurance company may reject the claim or approve only a partial payment.
Our public adjusters help the insureds through the entire claim process, by:
Insurance industry statistics show that homeowners that hire public adjusters get higher settlements (sometimes even three to five times higher). Thus, hiring a public adjuster who works on your behalf will help you get a better settlement, in a shorter amount of time, and with far less hassle.
You don’t have to pay for the public adjuster from your own pocket. Public adjusters get a small percentage of your settlement, usually under 10%. A public adjuster’s interests are directly aligned with yours – we get paid only if the insurance company pays your claim.
Michigan Fire Claims, Inc.’s public adjusters will assist you in any way possible to help you steer clear of all the pitfalls insurance companies are counting on. We work for you! Contact us today to find out more about our public adjuster services.