What a Public Adjuster is Not

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What a Public Adjuster is Not
A public adjuster is not an independent adjuster,
a private adjuster, a contractor, or a
restoration company. There are many tasks a
public adjuster can do and there are many tasks
they cannot do. A public adjuster is an insurance
adjuster who does not work for any insurance
company. They work for the insured, the
homeowner, to assist in the preparation,
presentation, and settlement of the claim. The
insured hires them by signing a contract
agreeing to pay them a fee or commission based on
a percentage of the settlement, or other methods
of compensation.
Public adjusters are sometimes mistakenly called
Independent Adjusters. This could be because
neither public nor independent adjusters work as
an employee of the insurance company. Both
adjusters also work on numerous claims and
communicate with several insurance companies
however, they are not the same. Independent
adjusters work on behalf of the insurance company
and represent the interest of the insurance
company they are handling a claim for and not
the insured. A public adjuster works
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on behalf of the insured not the insurance
company and works on behalf of the
insured. Another name public adjusters are
mistaken for is a private adjuster. It seems
that people think of public adjusters as having a
role similar to secret agents working for the
FBI or private investigators. In a way, public
adjusters are like private investigators. Both
look closely into their subject/claim and follow
leads that others may have missed. Public
adjusters dig deep into claims and can recognize
any missing pieces because reviewing and
understanding claims and policies is their
specialty. Public adjusters review estimates,
write estimates and understand construction.
Nonetheless, they are not contractors. Insurance
company adjusters are also not contractors. They
do not repair homes, write trade estimates, nor
have a license, training, or experience that a
contractor should have. Often homeowners contact
public adjusters wanting to know when work will
begin on their home or have speci?c questions
about the repairs. While public adjusters
understand the construction process, a licensed
contractor is the best contact for those speci?c
types of questions. Additionally, a public
adjuster cannot be a contractor and vice versa.
If a contractor tells you that they can adjust
your claim for you that is not true just like a
public adjuster cannot construct your home. It
is also common for homeowners to call their
public adjuster wanting to know when contents
from their home will be removed and clean. This
is actually a job that a restoration company
does. Restoration companies concentrate on
restoring homes and
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personal belongings. Insureds can hire a
restoration company to be their contractor and
repair their home. They can also only hire them
to restore their personal belongings that were
damaged. Restoration companies are the ones who
pack up the home and clean those items at their
facility. They can clean and restore furniture,
clothing, décor, and electronics. As you can see
there are several portions of a claim and
multiple entities can be involved. Public
adjusters perform all the same tasks a company
or independent adjuster and all three are
dierent. Company and independent adjusters are
also not contractors nor restoration companies.
If you are having issues with your insurance
claim, call a public adjuster to review
everything to make sure you are paid properly and
treated fairly through the process. Public
adjusters have your back and best interest in
mind. They do not get paid a penny if they cannot
get you paid a dime