How Can A Loss Adjuster Help Me With A Water Damage Repair?
Water damage extends beyond what the naked eye can see, so it can be tricky to tell right away just how much damage has been caused and the repairs that need to be made. If you ever experience water damage to your property, be sure to follow these tips and know that you have an ally in your loss adjuster.
Unlike insurance claim adjusters, public loss adjusters work for you. Their main goal is to get you the maximum payout from your insurance company. Public adjusters navigate the entire claims process for you. The best part is that Atlantic Coast Public Adjusters don’t get paid unless you do.
Water Damage
Out of all the property claims that insurance companies receive, water damage is one of the most common. This means that there is usually a backlog of cases and frustrated clients! Understanding and being able to quantify just how much damage the water has done to your property is extremely difficult. Following these tips can help to ensure that it doesn’t happen to you.
Contract
You need to ask your insurer for a certified copy of your contract. This is so that you know exactly what your policy covers, its provisions for mold, its limitations, and your responsibility as the homeowner. The language can be quite technical, but a public loss adjuster can help with the interpretation.
Mitigation Not Restoration
Depending on the severity, water damage can leave you with a big mess. It is important to only clean up the mess and not to begin restoring the damage that has been done to your property. Restoration can only begin both you and your insurance company have agreed on how much damage your property has sustained.
Take Photos
It is important to document all of the damage, using both photos and videos. This footage can then be used as evidence to show your insurance company.
Moisture Mapping Technology
If your loss adjuster doesn’t do so already, ask that they use moisture mapping technology to assess the damage. This technology helps to better diagnose and document the extent of the water damage.
Estimate
Before an amount can be agreed upon, you need to consult at least three, independent and qualified general contractors. They will provide an estimate of the true cost of restoring your damaged property.
Written Explanation
You have the right to demand a written explanation form your insurance company if your claim is not settled within 45 days of filing it.
When disaster strikes it can be very difficult to stay calm and think of these tips. Luckily for us, when we feel as if keeping clam is not an option, we have loss adjusters.
Public Loss Adjusters
A public loss adjuster is someone who works for you, not the insurance company and they investigate claims that have been made. Essentially, they look for the cause of the damage and determine if it is covered by your insurance policy. Their role is crucial in the claim process because they are usually the first person you come into contact with after your claim has been logged.
Within a few days of your claim, a loss adjuster will visit your property, hoping to gather facts about the incident. Their job is to determine whether or not your claim is valid and if the amount being paid to you is correct, according to your policy.
They then submit a ‘loss adjusters report’ to the insurance company where a decision about your claim will be reached.
What Do They Look For?
Public loss adjusters are required to follow a code of conduct that ensures their impartiality. Before writing up their report there are a number of things that a loss adjuster will need to check, such as:
- If the insurance company is liable and to what extent
- That all conditions and endorsements of the policy have been met
- That the damage to the property falls within the policy
- That the amount being claimed is reasonable
- That only valid items are included in the claim
It has been said that not all heroes wear capes- I guess that applies to loss adjusters as well! During a time of crisis, a loss adjuster can help to reduce your stress being the middleman between you and your insurance company. Let our trusted team at Atlantic Coast Public Adjusters make you whole after suffering water damage to home or property.