Flames and smoke are not the only ways in which a wildfire can damage or destroy a home. For example, if water was used to put out the wildfire, your property probably has water damage. Whether your home was partially or completely burned in the wildfire, chances are you’re going to file a claim with your home insurance company. Here are five reasons to work with a public adjuster if you lost your home in a wildfire.
1. Expertise
The main reason you should work with a public adjuster if your home was destroyed in a wildfire is that public insurance adjusters have a significant amount of expertise when it comes to comprehending insurance policies and filing and adjusting claims. Many policyholders have a hard time understanding the language and details of insurance policies. If you’re one of these people, it is definitely in your best interest to work with a public adjuster to get an accurate estimation of the costs incurred from the wildfire.
Not only do public adjuster have the knowledge and expertise to properly evaluate the property loss of a client, but they also know how to log and submit claims on behalf of said client.
2. Quality Tools and Resources
Since public adjusters conduct estimations of property losses for a living, these professionals have the right tools and resources to do so. For example, many public insurance adjusters used sophisticated software to perform an independent evaluation of the property loss of the client. The combination of the public adjuster’s knowledge and these tools and resources means that you can expect the property loss estimation to be accurate the first time.
3. Negotiation
If you want to negotiate for a better settlement with your insurer after losing your home in a wildfire, you should work with a public adjuster. Contact between contractors and adjusters is typically direct and occurs at the site of the loss. On the other hand, communication with the insurance company of the policyholder usually occurs via email. If you have a public adjuster representing you throughout the process, you will be able to avoid pitfalls that are commonly caused by a lack of experience. Also, negotiation is often a time-consuming process best left to a professional.
4. Large Claims
The higher the claim amount, the more you should consider hiring a public adjuster to help you file a property insurance claim. As a policyholder, you don’t have much to lose when it comes to hiring a public adjuster. Most public insurance adjusters will visit the site of the property loss for free to help you determine the damage severity and whether they should go through with filing an insurance claim. The fee for the services of a public insurance adjuster usually takes the form of a percentage of the claim amount.
5. Second Opinion
Even if you are confident about the dollar value of your property loss, it is always a good idea to receive a second opinion. There are many instances where an adjuster will visit a business or home and find that the client’s loss estimation is far lower than it should be. Due to experience and knowledge, public adjusters are unlikely to forget to include costs in their calculations. For example, if wildfires destroyed the roof of a home, the homeowner may only include the cost of a new roof and forget to include the cost of getting rid of the damaged roof.
For more information about why you should work with a public adjuster if you lost your home in a wildfire, don’t hesitate to contact us.