“We’re praying our insurance company agrees we need a new roof after Hurricane Ian” – Homeowners: Do this instead

These are the kinds of real and panicked concerns we as public adjusters are hearing from the community in the wake of Hurricane Ian: 

You are not at the mercy of your insurance company to decide the fate of your claim. As the homeowner, you have the legal right to dispute the claims adjuster’s opinion or evaluation of your claim. You can do this yourself or you can hire a public adjuster to build and argue a case for you.

Insurance company Claims Adjuster Settlement

You →?  Accepts Settlement

When you file a claim with an insurance company, their dedicated claims adjuster takes charge of your case. The claims adjuster then uses a set of rules and practices defined by the insurance company to arrive at a settlement. 

While both the company’s claims adjuster and a public insurance agent must follow the letter of the law and use the language of the contract, there is almost always room for interpretation when settling a hurricane damage claim, water damage claim, mold damage claim, roof leaks damage claim, or flood damage claim. The terms by which we evaluate a claim can make a significant difference.

“I work for attorneys that handle insurance claims and if you think they will treat you fair Good Luck! They are a for-profit business! The insurance company has trained the adjusters who will be coming to assess the situation. Your Desk adjusters are the ones who approve their estimates and remove items they don’t feel are necessary. Seek representation people!!” – Community Member, Cape Coral/Fort Myers Hurricane Ian Information Page 

Steps for filing and handling your hurricane damage claim yourself

Obtain:

  • A copy of your complete homeowner’s policy contracts. This includes all of the parts of the contract, not only the parts where the coverage is listed. 
  • Written bids from licensed contractors **IMPORTANT – read our article on this topic**

Find out: 

  • How long do you have to file a claim
  • How long it will take to process the claim
  • What your deductible is and whether or not your claim exceeds the deductible

Prepare:

  • A list of all damaged and destroyed items and their value
  • A list of any and all documentation to support your claim and substantiate the value (photos, receipts, etc.)

Educate yourself on:

  • The policy terms and conditions (Actual cash value or replacement cost? Have you extended or guaranteed replacement costs?
  • Compensation terms for trees and shrubbery and damage to other landscaping 

When to use a public adjuster for hurricane damage claims

No amount of damage is too “small” to contact a public claims adjuster. Even getting one piece of information on a free phone call that you didn’t have before could change the outcome of your hurricane damage claim.  

If you have significant damage (repairs over $20,000) or believe you may have multiple types of claims (ex: water damage claim, mold damage claim, flood damage claim, roof leaks damage claim, loss of business income damage claim), or if you would just prefer to bring in a professional to handle the task of dealing with negotiating with insurance companies and contractors, that’s what a public adjuster’s job is to do.

A public adjuster works tirelessly to secure you a fair claim settlement, and they are compensated solely based on the successful outcome they achieve. By law, their compensation is capped at a specific percentage. It is in the public adjuster’s best interest to use the letter of the law and the language of the contract to get you the highest settlement possible. 

At Fraser Property and Adjusting, we don’t charge any upfront fees, provide information, answer questions, and assist you in navigating the hurricane insurance claims process. We are South Florida public insurance adjusters serving our community and no question it is too big or small. We look forward to helping you and your family and our entire community rebuild in the wake of the storm. 

Cape Coral Hurricane Ian Headlines

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