How does the insurance claims process work? Working with a public insurance adjuster

Everyone has insurance, but very few people know how to use it when they need it. The insurance claims process can seem like a foreign language and learning how to file a claim after a disaster happens to your home, building, condominium, or investment property isn’t going to make understanding it any easier.

That’s why Action Public Adjusters has built this list for you to give you a better understanding of the claims process before you need it.

Pre-Disaster

Examine Your Insurance Policy and Photograph Everything

Be prepared before disaster strikes. Review your policy carefully and be sure that you have a basic understanding of your rights and responsibilities, what your insurance does and does not cover, a timeline for filing a claim, or any deductibles you may have to pay.

Take photos of everything, especially the valuables and make copies of any important documents in case they are lost. This will make the claims process easier because you will have a reference for what may be missing or damaged.

Post-Disaster

Secure the Scene

Before doing anything else, make sure you, your family, or any other patrons are safe. Do what you can to secure your property and prevent further damage from occurring.

Contact Your Insurance Company

Contact your agent right away. They will let you know what forms and information need to be submitted for your claim. Always take detailed notes of all communication with the insurance company, including the names of people you spoke with. Also, keep track of the expenses you incur through the insurance claim process stemming from the incident, such as medical expenses, lost income, lost profits, etc. Be honest about injuries and property damage.

Don’t think you can manage this all on your own? That’s what insurance public adjusters are for.

Call Action Public Adjusters

We have expertise in estimating the costs incurred from the loss and know how to log and submit every item to get you the proper settlement.  Not only will we file your claim, but we will negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf and help you with any other types of losses, such as business income. We’ll begin by reviewing your insurance policy ourselves to make sure nothing goes unnoticed and then will lead you through the following steps:

• Assessing the Property

We’ll survey the property and determine if it’s a total or partial loss. A partial loss means you can still live or work in the building but there are repairs to be made such as broken windows or a damaged roof. You may also have furniture or inventory that was damaged in the disaster and need to be replaced.

If you have experienced a total loss, that means your home or building is uninhabitable. The Additional Living Expenses (ALE) covered in many typical homeowners and renters’ policies will allow you to have temporary housing while your building is being repaired. Keep all receipts from hotels and restaurants to be reimbursed later. Be aware that ALE may not cover all of your expenses, so be sure to talk with your insurance company and get a list of everything that will be covered. Most policies either have a dollar limit or time limit for your ALE benefits.

• Documenting the Damage

We will properly assess and document all the damage that has occurred. After a thorough investigation of the damage, we will determine price estimates of how much it would cost to replace or repair every item.

• Building and Filing the Claim

With the above information, we can then put together the claim. The claim will lay out in full detail the damage that has occurred and how much it will cost to fix it. We will review the claim with you and then submit it to the insurance company. From that point, we will handle all communication, meetings, and negotiations with the insurance company.

The Settlement

Action Public Adjusters guarantees to do everything possible to get you the settlement you deserve. We will not stop negotiating until the right settlement is reached. Once that happens, you will receive your check and can begin making the necessary repairs to get your life back to normal operations.

The insurance claim process is not easy to go through alone. Working with a public insurance adjuster can not only make the process easier, but we can help it go more smoothly and make sure you get every dollar you are entitled to. If your property has sustained any damage from fire, wind, snow, water, or a natural disaster, call Action Public Adjusters today.