The insurance claims process in 5 steps
Connect with your broker.
Initial Contact.
Your broker is your primary contact when it comes to your insurance policy – they should understand your situation and how to proceed. As public adjusters, we are highly motivated to do all we can to make sure you are fairly compensated in your insurance settlements with consideration to your coverage and insurance policy limits. After a claim has been reported, it will need to be investigated by an adjuster to determine the amount of loss or damages covered by your insurance policy. A damage evaluation is conducted. In order to accurately evaluate the extent of the damage, your insurance adjuster may hire appraisers, engineers, or contractors to lend their expert advice. Once the evaluation is complete, your insurance adjuster will provide you with a list of preferred vendors to help with repairs. You’re not obligated to hire these vendors, but it can save you a good deal of time and research. Upon review of your information we will call you to answer any additional questions and then schedule a meeting to inspect your damage. For the initial inspection we should schedule a time when you can be present. During the meeting we will review your insurance policy to understand the coverage’s we have to work with. It’s of critical importance to have a plan in place based on the loss and the coverages.
Claim investigation begins. Once we become your authorized public adjuster, the first step is the analysis of your policy provisions and stipulations as they relate to your loss. This in-depth review is used to determine the coverage, limits, exclusions, and other forms that may apply to your particular loss. In investigating and planning for the loss and damages documentation and presentation, an understanding of recent court cases, decisions from the Insurance Commissioner's office, industry technical articles and opinions, and other factors that are likely to influence your standard insurance policy are all used to map a claims strategy. In many cases we have found the printed policy forms are contradictory to current practices and procedures of insurance adjusting in your area. Keep in mind that your insurance policy is a contract. While we do not dispense legal advice, given the nature of insurance disputes, we have seen instances where over the year’s court rulings may have an effect on the practice and procedures of adjusting property claims in your state. Thus what’s in a standard generic insurance policy may not be what the law of the land is where the loss occurred. We pride ourselves on staying current and in compliance with all issues that effect our profession through updated and current continuing education requirements required by the State regulators where we hold our professional licenses.Your policy is reviewed. Once the investigation is complete, the adjuster will go through your policy carefully to determine what is and isn’t covered under your policy, and inform you of any applicable deductibles that may apply to your case.
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