FAQs

A Public Adjuster is licensed from the Department of Financial Services by the State to represent you, the policyholder. We have the experience and knowledge to get you the best settlement under your policy. We have a team of trained professionals who understand insurance policies, endorsements and forms and your rights as the insured. We are representing you to the insurance company. Insurance companies are handling your claim based on their interest not yours.

If you were involved in a legal matter, you would hire an attorney to represent yourself, hiring a Public Adjuster is the same for insurance claims.

Yes! A Public Adjuster is tested, licensed, bonded, has completed continuing education and is authorized to practice the Public Adjusting profession in the State of Florida and other states. We are licensed by the Department of Financial Services just as independent adjusters who represent your insurance company.

We do not get paid unless you do. Our fee is based upon a percentage of the insurance company’s settlement to you, for example in Florida a Public Adjuster is usually charging 20% of the settlement or 10% if it’s declared an emergency by the state. There are no upfront fees for our services and if you do not get paid, then we don’t get paid. It is in our interest to look out for our clients best interest.

A Public Adjuster is a licensed professional hired by the insured to represent them and their best interests. Public adjusters are licensed by the state where the service is provided & their main responsibilities is to secure the insurance settlement that insureds deserve according to their insurance policy. While a company adjuster is employed by the insurance company as staff to protect the insurance company’s interests. An Independent Adjuster is hired by insurance companies to represent their interests while handling your claim.

Standard insurance policies include numerous provisions and endorsements that are frequently revised and updated. These endorsements either exclude or supplement certain policy coverages that were not included when you initially purchased your policy. These are complicated and difficult documents to understand.

A Public adjuster has the expertise to properly understand and interpret the technical language appearing in the policies. We understand the complex procedures to follow in compliance with your policy and contract terms. Policyholders have the option to protect their own interests by hiring a Public Adjuster who will serve them. Your Public Adjuster will guide you through your claim process and handle your claim based on your policy conditions so the requirements will be satisfied.

In Florida, you usually have three years to report a claim from the date that the loss occurred. Each insurance company has provisions in their contracts regarding late reporting of claims that may make the filing of a claim that happened six plus months ago more difficult but never impossible.

If you had a previous claim that was underpaid, we will help you in reopening it and work diligently to get you a fairer and bigger settlement. You have three years from the date of the loss to reopen a claim.

Depending on your contract, you either have mediation rights or appraisal rights.

An appraisal is the method preferred by most Public Adjusters. If our respective financial positions are too far apart then we may notify the insurance company that we wish to move the issues into the appraisal process. In the appraisal process, both sides agree on a neutral Umpire who will make a financial determination of our claim and the Umpire’s decision is final. Before meeting with the Umpire the insurance company will appoint an appraiser/expert to represent them. We act as your appraiser. Usually both appraisers meet at the loss to review both estimates to look for compromise. If in the event that there is too much difference to compromise then the estimates and support documentation are sent directly to the Umpire. The Umpire will make a final decision in a week to ten days. Usually, the final decision is a better settlement than the undisputed amount paid by the insurance company.

Mediation is the step between receiving coverage for your claim and filing a lawsuit. A mediator is appointed by the state within 30 days following our request or the insured’s request. The mediator meets (physically or by video call) with all the parties which are the insured, a representative of your insurance company and your Public adjuster. Mediation is not binding unless all the parties agree. Sometimes the mediation is successful and sometimes not. If the outcome is an impasse, the insured can file a lawsuit. Just so you know, the insurance companies are most likely to settle in mediation since it’s not in their interest to have a lawsuit for bad faith against them.  Suing the insurance company is not initially expensive for the policyholder but it can take a few months to settle. We work with specialized attorneys to help you through this procedure if needed.

The first check referred to as the undisputed amount from your insurance company will arrive in about 90 days. After that, depending on the course of action permitted in your contract, it may take another three to six months to complete the adjusting and settling of your claim. If your policy allows you to go to appraisal, it might take only a few weeks more.

By law, all companies, except for Citizens, are required to pay or deny claims within 90 days

No, it is against the Florida insurance statute to cancel you during your policy. Research shows that the average increase in Florida after you put in a claim is approximately 2% but it’s not always the case.