When you suffer some type of damage to your home — whether by earth, wind, fire or flood — you generally submit a claim to your homeowner’s insurance carrier. Your insurance company then assigns an employee to investigate and otherwise handle the claim. This person is referred to as an adjuster. His/her duties with the insurance company might include, among other things, to visit the damage site, to take photos, to hire and analyze data from cause and origin investigators, to parse what part of your damage is covered vs. what is not covered, and to coordinate with damage estimators and/or potential contractors, etc.
At some point, the adjuster will arrive at some plan of action to ultimately resolve your claim — ranging from actually supervising re-construction or repair on the one hand, to simply giving you a check and letting you oversee your own repairs on the other hand.
But what happens when you disagree with the adjuster? What if you believe the amount you’re being offered is a low-ball offer? Or based on estimates from contractors who you think aren’t “up to snuff” so to speak? Or based on a scope of repair that you don’t believe fully remedies your problem (e.g. they will pay only for the cheaper brand of shingles compared to what you are required)?
What do you do?
Well, you can always call a lawyer. That’s a given. However, you might be better served to first consider a less “nuclear option” than going legal. Indeed, you might first consider utilizing the services of a public adjuster.
A public adjuster is a licensed professional who works exclusively for the public as a counterweight to the in-house adjuster who is employed by your insurance company.
Read more about public adjusters over at the Tennessee Insurance Litigation Blog by clicking here.
