Friday, March 19, 2010

Difference between a public adjuster and an adjuster that works for the insurance company

The difference between a Public Claims Adjuster and an adjuster that works for the insurance company is very defined. Insurance company Adjuster works for, and is paid by, the insurance company. This means that they only have the Insurance Company's welfare in mind.Public Adjusters work strictly for policy owners and has only their best interests in mind.

More people are now turning directly to a Claims Adjuster when they have damage, but this is not the only time that they may be needed. In most States, a policyholder has up to five years to reopen an insurance claim. In this case, a Claims Adjuster will reconsider the damage from a past claim and make a decision whether or not enough funds were given in insurance settlements. A large sum of policy holders are finding out that, in fact, they were not paid adequately for past damage and it is in their best interest, financially, to reopen the claim to try and recover those additional funds.

It is therefore important to find a good insurance claims adjuster who is ethical, up-to-date with insurance laws and has good negotiating skills.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

How to become an insurance claims adjuster?

To become an insurance claims adjuster, a person must have at least a high school diploma, though many employers prefer applicants with connections or bachelor's degrees in business management or accounting. Many universities, community colleges, and qualified online schools offer programs helpful to prospective insurance claims adjusters. Established claims adjusters regularly pursue continuing education to stay up to date on changing insurance laws.

Many states necessitate adjusters to become licensed by fulfilling certain education requirements and passing a standard exam. Licensing necessities are generally stricter for public and freelance adjusters than for employees of a recognized insurance company. Once licensing necessities are met, a new insurance claims adjuster usually receives on the job training by knowledgeable adjusters. New adjusters typically begin by handling small insurance settlements for experience. In addition, many professionals get certification from different professional organizations to improve their chances of finding adjuster jobs.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people have to file a property damage claim with their insurance company and each year, more and more homeowners and business owners are rotating to Property Insurance Claim Adjusters to grip this for them. The reason behind this that policyholders are now aware that insurance companies have a propensity to underpay them on property loss claims. So a public Insurance claims adjuster helps them with their insurance claim processing and insurance settlements.

Insurance Claim Adjusters are called by diverse names in different parts of the country. In Florida they are called "Public Insurance Adjusters". In other parts of the country, they are known as "Independent Claim Adjusters". They all do the same job - which is to represent the policy holder so as to get every justified penny from the insurance company. Whether it is a devastation claim, a theft claim, a flood, or any other sort of property damage a Claims Adjuster works strictly for the policy holder.

Insurance Claims Adjusters: what they really do for you?

An insurance claims adjuster gathers data on various insurance claims, processing and analyzing the information. He or she attempts to decide the authority of a claim, deciding whether or not an incident should be covered under a specific insurance policy. An adjuster then negotiates compensation terms with the claimant. A claim which is not settled is usually brought to court, where an insurance claims adjuster may be required to provide expert indication and present reports to a judge for insurance settlements.

Many insurance claim adjusters find employment with companies which focus on property and casualty insurance services, though others find work with public firms or become autonomous freelance adjusters. An insurance claims adjuster at a public firm provides services to the claimant rather than the insurance provider. Though their job responsibilities are the same, public adjusters attempt to bargain claims in favor of the individual and help in insurance claim processing. Freelance claims adjusters are typically hired by insurance carriers that do not staff permanent adjusters.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Insurance adjusters easing you financial losses

Insurance adjusters are those who are hired in order to protect the interests of the company and its shareholders, these professionals study a claim made and the authenticity of it. The public claims adjusters, on the other hand are hired in order to make claims on behalf of the claimant. Thus public claims adjusters and insurance adjusters are two sets of professionals doing the same job but for different parties with possibly conflicting interests.

Insurance is a very complicated business. Most people do not bother to read the big bundle of documents that come with the policy and even if they do, most are not able to grasp everything written in complicated insurance jargon. This is more apparent when you try to read the manuals after an incident occurs and you are under stress.

Most of the policy holders who do not hire a insurance claims adjuster often run the risk of getting no returns on their claims as compared to those who hire public adjusters. The adjusters meet with the required personnel and also hold discussions to try and get returns for their claimants and help ease the burden.

There are public adjusters who prepare their clients for disasters before they occur and help them be mentally prepared. They also help them make proper assessment of their property according to the current market value. Some insurance adjusters recommend hiring public adjusters so that the entire insurance claims will be done in a proper and hassle free manner. Hence most public adjusters have good relationships with insurance adjusters or the companies even though one is trying to get money from the other. This is so because both the parties want to settle the claim smoothly and that is just what the claims adjuster does.

Public Adjuster can get you the Insurance Claim Settlement

Public adjusters are licensed advocates who legally represent insurance policy holders and help them in appraising and negotiating property insurance claims. They belong to that class of insurance claims adjusters who are hired by the insured, unlike staff adjusters or independent adjusters who are employed by the insurance company.

Insurance claims adjusters hired by insurance companies often protect their interests and their shareholder profits, instead of lending a helping hand to the insured. Insurance claims adjusters gather and analyze information about various insurance claims and attempt to determine the legitimacy of a claim, deciding whether or not an incident should be covered under a specific insurance policy. It is the public adjuster who then negotiates compensation terms on behalf of the claimant.

Insurance is a complicated business. Often, a majority of the policy holders are unable to file their claim to the insurance companies without running the risk of getting no settlement at all. Insurance claimants who hire public adjusters run a better chance of obtaining compensation from insurance companies for damages incurred on their insured property.

Reputed public adjusters or public adjusting firms have the competence and expertise to effectively maximize claim recovery by negotiating a maximum settlement on behalf of the client. A public adjuster will be in a better position to work out claims and rectify claim discrepancies and secure settlements higher than what a typical policy holder would have been able to recover on his/her own.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

How to settle your insurance claims

Today insurance is a highly developed field with various types of coverage and claim settlement processes. Individuals who take policies must pay regular premiums to the insurance companies. The premium to be paid depends on the value of the asset covered. Once a calamity occurs, then the claimant has the right to receive money from the insurance company.

When insurance claims are submitted, claims adjusting comes into play – the claims adjuster interviews the claimant, studies the hospital and police records, questions the witnesses and also visits the site of damage in order to assess the extent of the insurance company’s liability. There are several types of claims adjusters – the staff adjuster is the one who is employed by the insurance company; the independent adjusters are independent and not employed by insurance company; policy adjusters are the ones who are employed by the policyholder.

The claims adjuster studies the situation and determines if the claim made is reasonable or not, this is done so that there is no fraud involved. All the claims made may not be paid by the company. This happens if the premium is not paid in full, or another person is held liable and has agreed to pay for the damages. Usually the insurance companies take the word of the claims adjuster as final. The process is completed by a fair claim settlement made between both parties. Adjusters are thus hired by insurance companies and financial institutions to study the extent of loss. They act as a go-between for proper claim settlements.

There are different types of insurances based on the assets that are insured – like household insurance, motor insurance (for theft or accident), commercial insurance or personal insurance. Once damage is incurred the policy holder has to contact the insurance company immediately, they also have to inform the police and also take steps that further damage does not happen. Once the insurance claim adjusters visits the claimant, he has to assist him so that a fair claim settlement can be made that will reduce the financial burden.

Public insurance adjusters are your saviors in claim adjusting

Public insurance adjusters are trained professionals who are hired by the claimant or the policy holder to uphold their own interests. They evaluate the loss that has occurred keeping the best interests of the policy holder in mind. They perform a thorough study and put forward a very detailed claims settlement report to the insurance company. Public insurance adjusters work for policy holders and not the company, therefore they have the best interests of the clients at heart and make sure that the claimants get their due from insurance companies.

Public insurance adjusters take care of a lot of details regarding the claim. They study the policy in depth in order to find out what are the specific losses that are covered; they extensively research the damages that have occurred and put a fair value on the financial loss that has resulted. After the detailed study, they make a claim on behalf of the client to the insurance company. Once the claim settlement is put forward, there will be negotiations between the public insurance adjusters who work for the client and the company’s own claims adjusters. This is followed by reconciliation where both parties decide on a certain amount as compensation.

Hiring a public adjuster makes a lot of sense

A house owner who may have lost his life saving in a fire, theft or flood may not be in the mental frame of mind to think for himself. Public adjusters are experienced in dealing with such situations, they understand the pain and the emotions of the house owner in such stressful situations. An efficient public adjuster shields the client from the stress of the damage and the tedium of paperwork as well as ruthless negotiations with the insurance company. Usually the adjusters are paid a percentage of the amount that is obtained in the negotiation process, so rest assured they have the best interests of the client in mind.

Typically, public adjusters are hired soon after damage or loss has occurred. As soon as the loss has been recorded by the insurance company they send their own adjusters. If the claimant does not answer their questions to satisfaction, this will negatively impact the settlement amount and the asset owner will be at a loss. So it is always best that the public adjuster is present at this time and helps in ensuring that an equitable amount is obtained by the house owner as compensation for the damages.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Public adjusters usually represent a client

Public adjusters assist an insured who has had a loss in the preparation and presentation of the insurance claim. Public adjusters performs very valuable services to the insured by consulting with the insured on options available in their recovery, filling out forms, helping prepare inventory lists.

Public Adjusters work only on losses that involve property, such as homes, businesses and public buildings.Public Adjusters do not handle Bodily Injury losses, such as happen in an automobile accident. For assistance in those kinds of losses, consult a personal injury attorney.

Public adjusters usually have to be licensed adjusters, and are usually regulated by the Insurance Department of your state. Some states have special licenses for Public Adjusters. Public adjusters usually represent a client on a contingency basis. That simply means that they help present the claim documents to the insurance company and receive a percentage of the total amount of the insurance proceeds.