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 a claim is filed with an insurance company, it is assigned to a claims adjuster that works for that company. 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. Even the terms under which the claim is evaluated make a 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 adjusters that will be coming work for the insurance company and have been trained by them. Your Desk adjusters are the ones who approve their estimates and remove items they don’t feel is 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 homeowners policy contracts. This includes all of the parts of the contract, not only the parts where the coverages are listed.
- Written bids from licensed contractors **IMPORTANT – read our article on this topic**
Find out:
- How long you have to file a claim
- How long it will take to process the claim
- What your deductible is and whether or not you 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? Extended or guaranteed replacement cost?
- 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 earns their compensation only by getting you a claim settlement and only up to a certain percentage is allowed by law. 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, we don’t charge any up front fees. We have set up a special division to provide information, answer questions, and to assist you in navigating the hurricane insurance claims process – regardless of whether or not you hire us. Aryeh, Ms. Maude, Abraham, Sharon, and David – we are South Florida public insurance adjusters serving our community. No question 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
Cape Coral homeowners being asked to delay Hurricane Ian repairs until December
Cape Coral officials provide Ian recovery update
Cape Coral provides updates on recovery progress after Hurricane Ian
