Navigating the Storm – The Crucial Role of a Public Adjuster During Hurricane Season

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Do I Really Need a Public Adjuster? Won’t I Save Money by Doing This Myself?

After experiencing damage to their home or property, many homeowners start the rebuilding process by calling their insurance company, filing a claim, and working with the insurance company’s adjuster to determine how much the insurance company will pay them. For a minor claim with a relatively low dollar value, this process can work well. However, everything changes with a major or catastrophic loss.

If you have fire damage, water damage, hail damage, or another loss that costs in the tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars to repair, paying out your claim can impact the insurance company’s profitability. As such, it is in their best interest to pay you as little as possible. Unless you work in the insurance industry, you are unlikely to know all your rights under your insurance contract and know the true costs of repairing the damage to your home. This is where a public adjuster can help you. A public adjuster is an expert in deciphering insurance policy jargon and understanding the maximum coverage to which you are entitled. Moreover, they are experts in inspecting homes and evaluating construction costs, giving them insight into the true costs of repairing your home. They will fight the insurance company for you to receive the maximum possible compensation, rather than accepting the lowball offer that the insurance company may provide on their own.

As one of Florida’s leading public adjusters, at Get Paid For Your Claim, we achieve tangible financial results for our clients. Here are some examples:

• An insurance company paid $6,800 to a homeowner for a water leak. After the homeowner retained us, we were able to prove there was extensive additional damage that was not originally accounted for, and renegotiated a new settlement for $20,000.
• After Hurricane Irma, a homeowner experienced roof damage, allowing water intrusion into the home. The insurance company estimated the damage at $8,559.82, which was only marginally more than their deductible. The homeowners then contacted us and we were able to negotiate another $51,257.11 in compensation.
• In another Hurricane Irma example, a homeowner was offered only $787.12 by their insurance company. We inspected the damage and provided the insurance company with a detailed list of their losses and negotiated an additional $155,000 payment for the homeowner.
• A homeowner who experienced a water leak from her bathtub on the second floor onto the ceiling of her first floor was offered $3,500 by her insurance company. We invoked her insurance policy’s appraisal clause and were able to increase the insurance company’s offer to $38,000.

These are only a few of the many case studies showing the value that Get Paid For Your Claim can provide. Contact us today to learn how we can help you recover the full value of your damages.

Insurance companies have their own team of experts and insurance adjusters to advocate on their behalf.  At Get Paid For Your Claim, weadvocate for you.  As a licensed and bonded Public Adjuster, we help insurance policyholders who have been forced to use insurance to make a claim.

Our service is fast and to the point.  We get results.  We know how to strategically move the process along, while negotiating on our clients’ behalf toward the best possible outcome — the maximum settlement available.

The earlier a public adjuster is brought into the process, the better the opportunity to help you obtain a more favorable claim settlement. As soon as you engage our team, we swing into action on your behalf.  And, we support you throughout the entire claim process to achieve the maximum insurance recovery. 

For a free inspection and claim consultation, please contact us at any of our convenient Florida locations.

Lightning Hit My Home! Will My Insurance Cover This?

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Reopening A Closed Insurance Claim

After your home experienced a significant adverse event, the insurance company paid your claim, you cashed the check and started on the repair work. But perhaps by the time you completed the repairs, the actual costs to repair your home or replace the broken items exceeded your insurance compensation?  Or, perhaps during the reconstruction process, additional damage was found, increasing your costs significantly. When this happens, many homeowners don’t know where to turn and erroneously believe their only option is to pay the increased costs themselves. However, under Florida law, you can request that your insurance company re-open your claim. At Get Paid For Your Claim, our public adjusters are experts in helping homeowners navigate the tricky world of reopening closed homeowners insurance claims.

According to Florida Statue 627.70132, homeowners can reopen a closed insurance claim for up to two years from the original date of loss. This is true even if you have already cashed the check from the insurance company. You are eligible to re-open a closed insurance claim if the insurance company reimbursed you for actual cost instead of replacement cost for repairing the damage, or if they denied the claim but you feel that the claim was valid. The first step in the process is to contact Get Paid For Your Claim to review your insurance policy, all communications you have had with the insurance company, any photos or videos of the original damage, and contracts with contractors completing the repair work. We will also come out, inspect the site of the damage, and develop our own line-item estimate of the costs for repair or replacement. After that, with your permission, we will contact the insurance company to re-open the claim.

When we re-open a claim, our first step is to send the insurance company the new information and our estimate with a sworn proof of loss. Depending on the situation, we may request that the insurance company adjuster return to the property for another field inspection. We aim to secure additional compensation through negotiation with the insurance company. In some cases, the insurance company may not want to negotiate. If this happens, we may enter into a mediation or appraisal to secure resolution for your claim.

Re-opening a closed insurance claim by yourself can be time-consuming and a hassle, but with Get Paid For Your Claim by your side, we manage all the heavy lifting and make the process as seamless as possible. Don’t accept a lower level of compensation than you deserve. If your insurance company has closed your claim, but you feel you deserve more, contact us today.

Insurance companies have their own team of experts and insurance adjusters to advocate on their behalf.  At Get Paid For Your Claim, weadvocate for you.  As a licensed and bonded Public Adjuster, we help insurance policyholders who have been forced to use insurance to make a claim.

Our service is fast and to the point.  We get results.  We know how to strategically move the process along, while negotiating on our clients’ behalf toward the best possible outcome — the maximum settlement available.

The earlier a public adjuster is brought into the process, the better the opportunity to help you obtain a more favorable claim settlement. As soon as you engage our team, we swing into action on your behalf.  And, we support you throughout the entire claim process to achieve the maximum insurance recovery.  For a free inspection and claim consultation, please contact us at any of our convenient Florida locations.

How to Prepare for a Hurricane

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Benefits of Hiring a Public Adjuster into the Claims Process As Soon As Possible

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How the Insurance Appraisal Process Plays a Role in the Claims Process

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Most Common Property Damage Claims in Florida

Florida has been dealing with severe hurricanes throughout history. Hurricane season typically brings several threats and often, two or more storms that wreak havoc on daily life in the state. Luckily, not all of these storms turn out to be catastrophic, but the southern part of the state has experienced its fair share of devastation in modern history.

Many people who are not even residents of Florida recall Hurricane Andrew in 1992. The category 5 storm left 65 people dead and is considered the most destructive to ever hit Florida. Andrew was one of the costliest hurricanes to make landfall anywhere in the country and caused more than $25 billion in damages. The storm stripped many homes throughout Miami-Dade County down to their concrete foundations.

More recently, in 2005, Hurricane Wilma did significant damage in South Florida and resulted in almost $17 billion of damages. It caused at least five deaths directly and 26 indirectly. The storm hit Broward and Palm Beach Counties especially had.

In 1960, Hurricane Donna caused 13 deaths and hundreds of injuries. It was the most damaging hurricane up to that point in history with $350 million in damages. It features storm surges of up to 13 feet throughout the Florida Keys and sustained deadly hurricane force winds for significantly longer than any storm that came before it.

These three storms are arguably the worst to strike Southern Florida, but they are by no means the only storms to cause significant damage.

So what happens in the wake of a devastating hurricane? How do the people of Florida recover after a severe storm?

Meet Urgent Needs and Consider Safety

Your first consideration after a hurricane passes (and during the hurricane, too, for that matter) is safety. Steer clear of flood waters, never try to move or repair power lines that have fallen, and report all gas leaks to local utilities. Stay abreast of updates from the local health department and power company and throw away any food that might have spoiled if you lost power for more than a few hours.

Rely on Community and Government Aid

Once you are out of the initial danger period, recovery begins. Typically, government and community organizations come into the area to help residents recover. They might bring supplies, funds, and guidance to help with filing insurance claims and other tasks that need to occur.

This can be a frustrating time, but it is important to remember that everyone in the community is going through a similar experience. Do not be afraid to ask for help and be as patient as possible as your community begins to rebuild.

Improving Infrastructure for the Next Storm

Finally, recovery after a hurricane involves preparing for the next storm. As nice as it would be to assume the worst is over, and it might be for a period of time, there will always be another storm and as history shows, it could very well be more powerful than the ones that came before it. The damage from the current storm can inform communities and help them be more prepared for more powerful storms in the future.

How a Public Adjuster Can Help You for More than Just Hurricanes

There are many reasons people contact public adjusters in the state of Florida. It is common to think public adjusters are called upon most primarily for hurricanes, but that is not the case. While there has been a recent rash of hurricanes in the Sunshine State, there actually was a 11-year gap between 2005 and 2016 when no hurricanes hit the state.

Public adjusters are helping consumers on a more frequent basis with issues that aren’t related to natural disasters like hurricanes. It is important to know that public adjusters can help you in many situations. So when should you give a trusted public adjuster a call?

Public adjusters can help you after damage from any storm or natural disaster. They are able to provide an assessment of the damage to homes and automobiles and other property, and can provide you information about filing your claim with the insurance company.

Hiring a public adjuster makes it possible to cut through a lot of the red tape. They hasten the process of your claim and can offer assistance if your claim is denied or delayed. A public adjuster represents you and the sooner you bring one into the process of placing your claim the better.

Public adjusters work for you – not insurance companies. They will file your claim with the insurance company and prepare a written estimate. Then they can handle a lot of the negotiating on your behalf. Working with a public adjuster after a disaster of any kind levels the playing field and allows you to go toe-to-toe with the insurance company. Adjusters have battled insurance companies before and they are not intimidated by then. They also know a lot of the tactics that are used by insurance companies to scare off property owners – and they do not fall for them.

And though an adjuster is a valuable resource following a hurricane, this is not the only situation when you would want to turn to an adjuster. They can be there for you anytime there is damage to your property, be it through storm, wind, smoke, fire, earthquake, flood, vandalism, or theft.

If you are home suffers any damage from broken pipes, toilet leaks, air condition leaks, fires, smoke or wind, a public adjuster will work on your behalf.

Consider turning to a public adjuster for any of the following reasons:
• You don’t have time to deal with the insurance company demands
• You are confused about your policy
• Your damage is extensive
• The insurance company is trying to quickly pay you off or discouraging you from hiring a public adjuster
• If you are getting the run around

Public adjusters can be an excellent resource to get you through a tough time and get you the claim you deserve. Remember, they act as an expert advocate on your behalf in any home damage situation, and you don’t it to be a severe weather situation like a hurricane to employ their help.

As a Business Owner, Should I Hire a Public Adjuster?

Filing a property insurance claim can be one of the most stressful experiences you will ever endure, especially as a business owner. Filing a claim as a business is different  from filing a personal claim. It lacks the emotional aspects of a personal claim, but this does not mean it is any easier.

What are the Reasons Business Owners
Can File a Claim?

There
are several reasons a business owner might be able to file a claim. For
instance:

• They own property and experience a loss
  directly related to that property
• They experience a loss of goods as a result of
  a covered loss
• They suffer a business interruption

As
a business owner, you need to be concerned about how your losses will affect
your business both short- and long-term. Not to mention, business owners do not
have the time or ability to wait around for insurance companies to stall and use
their manipulative tactics. Working with a public adjuster means you will have
a third-party handling the situation and working on your behalf. He or she can
review your policy and negotiate with the insurer to ensure the most efficient
settlement of your claim.

What are a few specific reasons a
business owner should hire a public adjuster?

Improve Your Chances of Getting the
Best Settlement

Public
adjusters receive a portion of your settlement, which means it is in their best
interest to get you as much as possible. Public adjusters review the fine print
in your policy and are able to make the most of your situation – literally.
Since they are benefitting from you, they work hard to create the best possible
arrangement.

Leave No Stone Unturned

A
public adjuster’s full-time job is to review your policy, identify damages, and
make the most of every claim. Their entire focus on is on settling your claim
in the best way possible for you, so you do not need to worry about anything
being missed. Many business owners do not even realize what types of damages
they can claim, but public adjusters do know. They are able to uncover problems
that would go unnoticed by the insurance adjuster.

Focus on Priorities While the Work
Gets Done

Filing
an insurance claim can be time-consuming and any time a business owner’s focus
is pulled away from his or her primary responsibilities, the business suffers.
Working with a public adjuster means you will be able to focus on your business
while the adjuster works on your behalf. Business does not stop because of an
insurance claim – at least it should not – and a public adjuster will make sure
it does not need to.

Speed the Claims Process

It
is no secret that filing an insurance claim can be a long and arduous process.
Working with a public adjuster speeds things along and allows business owners
to put their loss behind them. Public adjusters not only keep things moving
along, they know the tactics of the insurance company and understand the process,
so you will avoid many of the most common delays when filing a claim.

Filing a property damage claim as a business owner can be a significant drain on your resources and time. All too often, this drain occurs when your business needs the most attention. The goods new is working with public adjusters enables you to reduce stress, get a bigger settlement, and put the entire ordeal behind you as quickly as possible.

How Drones Help in the Public Adjuster Process

When you experience damage to your property, the last thing you want is for your claim to be denied or for you to receive a lowball settlement value.

A public adjuster can work on your behalf to ensure that the
insurance company has all of the information it needs to process the claim and
that it properly processes it. If necessary, a public adjuster can adjust a
claim or provide supplemental information so that the claim is accurate and
detailed.

But what makes public adjusters so beneficial is they can also
utilize cool and modern technology to help you with your claims.

At Get Paid For Your Claim, we utilize drones to evaluate your damaged property and it has been crucial in having successful claims for our clients. So, how do we use drones as part of our process?

Use
Drones

At one time, public adjusters used ladders to get on top of a damaged roof and prove a claim. Today, technology is available through the form of drones that makes this job easier and safer. Technologically adept public adjusters like Get Paid For Your Claim utilizes drones to get video footage of homes we inspect that we can use to support the claim.

Drones make the claims process more efficient so that we can
provide more information in less time. We can take photographs or video from a
number of angles, a better method than the traditional use of a ladder and
camera.

(Insert video of drone here on website)

Use
Other Advanced Technology

At Get Paid For Your Claim, we can also take advantage of other available technological advances, including sophisticated software that provides an independent evaluation of damage. This software often contains important data regarding the average repairs in the area and the measurements of the damaged area to more accurately assess damages.

Artificial intelligence can help identify damage, make accurate
measurements and make the claims process more efficient to assist with the
decision-making process. We have the option to use a variety of mobile apps to
help expedite the claims management process.

These apps may help capture pictures, upload them to a claims
management system and perform remote damage assessment on the damage.

Create
a Digital Record

We can also create a digital record. This can help preserve
important evidence, speed up the claims process and improve the communication
between the public adjuster and claims adjuster. A digital process also
provides instant access to important information.

You can check out cool footage of our drones on our website, www.getpaidforyourclaim.com.