It’s never easy dealing with damages to your home caused by natural disasters, theft, or other hazards. You have lost your personal belongings, but you must also submit property insurance claims in New Jersey and go through the insurance claims process.
Filing a claim is the only way to determine the value of your personal belongings and be reimbursed by your insurance company, but most insurers don’t make this process easy.
Did you know you can hire your own adjuster?
When filing a claim, you can hire a public insurance adjuster in New Jersey to work on your behalf.
Let’s review the insurance claim process and whether it’s in your best interest to hire a public adjuster or use the insurance adjuster assigned to you.
What Does a Public Adjuster Do?
A public adjuster is hired by the policyholder (you) and works strictly on their behalf. A policyholder can hire a public adjuster when they believe the insurance company gave them a low reimbursement, to help them begin the claims process, or reopen a previously denied case.
The public adjuster will also guide the policyholder through the process. For example, if you attempted to make sense of your insurance policy on your own, you may struggle with the terminology.
However, when you hire a public insurance adjuster in New Jersey, s/he is well versed in complex policies and can easily explain the material to you.
The insurance claim process, from start to finish, can be taxing on the policyholder. There is a lot of paperwork involved, and it isn’t uncommon for the policyholder to complete a form incorrectly.
Unfortunately, this can result in a lower reimbursement from the insurance company, and possibly a denied claim. To avoid these pitfalls, a public insurance adjuster acts as a safety net.
The PA will assist the policyholder in filing the claim correctly, but also negotiate with contractors and the insurance company, and ensure the process goes quickly and smoothly.
Public Adjuster vs Insurance Company Adjuster
Much like the PA, the insurance company adjuster will come to your home and survey the damage. They will make an evaluation and provide a cost for necessary repairs. However, the insurance company adjuster does not work for you – they work for your insurance provider.
Why does this make a difference?
Essentially, the insurance company adjuster works to satisfy the insurance provider. Even if you think you can trust your insurance provider, they don’t want to provide their clients with a significant payout.
If you use a public insurance adjuster in New Jersey, you gain the confidence that you’ve hired a person who:
- Updates his/her training to maintain their New Jersey public adjuster license.
- Is highly knowledgeable in the fields of construction and contracting.
- Can accurately prepare estimates as to the value of the damaged property and personal belongings.
- Can help negotiate the insurance claim with the insurance company.
How to Choose a Public Adjuster
If you decide to hire a public adjuster, it’s recommended to do so early in the claim process. It’s important to find a public adjuster you can trust, who has a good reputation and years of industry experience.
You can determine whether you wish to hire the PA after an initial consultation. During the consultation, be prepared to ask questions. A few good questions to start off with are:
- Are you licensed to practice public adjusting in the state of New Jersey?
- Will you be handling my claim? If not, who will?
- Do you have construction estimating skills?
- Can you provide three references of local clients who were satisfied with your work?
- What is your fee contract?
Contact Crestview Public Adjusters
If you’re looking for a public insurance adjuster in New Jersey, contact our team. We have over 50 years of combined real estate experience. We aren’t unfamiliar with the process and we know what needs to be done to maximize your settlement. Over the years, we have negotiated millions of dollars in recovery on behalf of our clients.
Some of the cases we have handled for our clients are:
- Fire damage
- Water damage
- Underpaid insurance claims
- Business interruption
- Frozen pipe claims
- Environmental claims
- Cyber claims
Contact us today and we’ll be in touch to provide a free claim assessment.
