Home Insurance Claims: How To Deal With Insurance Adjusters Like A Pro?

Posted by: KHTS Articles in News Articles October 30, 2020 - 11:52 am 0 661 Views

Many policy holders know next to nothing about the insurance claims process, which is why they risk getting lowballed by their insurance carriers without even knowing it. Plus, many more people mistakenly believe that the insurance adjuster is their friend. Nothing could be further from the truth.

An insurance adjuster works for the insurance company and doesn’t have your best interest at heart. So, when it comes to large claims like home insurance, learn how to play the game like a pro, or get ready for a bitter defeat.

What Does a Home Insurance Claims Adjuster Do?

A insurance (claims) adjuster is either an insurance company’s employee or an independent contractor working for the insurance company hired to evaluate policyholders’ insurance claims and to sometimes come up with the tiniest payout their employer can make without breaking the law.

Insurance adjusters may not be called that way by their employer, so they may come under various names including staff adjusters, analysts, and company representatives. Their goal is basically the same: Assessing whether the damages mentioned in your insurance claim are worthy of compensation under your insurance policy and the amount of cash the insurance company should hand you over to avoid getting the case to trial.

Lawsuits are very resource-intensive endeavors for insurance companies, so they would rather reach a quick settlement with you than dragging things out in a civil court for years. However, never expect the initial settlement offer to be fair for you.

Why You Shouldn’t Accept an Insurer’s Initial Offer?

Despite them being legally obliged to act in good faith, most insurance adjusters will try to lowball you with a low settlement offer. They know that if you accept it, their employer will keep the rest of the money you are due and protect their bottom line. If you reject the initial offer, the insurance adjuster will come up with a slightly better offer that they probably had on their mind from the get-go.

But not all initial offers are bad. For instance, if your home was trashed by a hurricane, the insurance company may come with a great settlement offer for the extra living expenses spurred by your temporary stay at a hotel. But that too-good-to-be true offer may be just an attempt to win your trust so you can agree on a lowball settlement offer for your property damages.

How to Deal with an Insurance Adjuster Like a Pro?

Before an insurance adjuster comes knocking on your door to inspect your home and assess damages, carefully record all them beforehand. Take photos, ask help from witnesses, document everything in a time stamped video.

Also, document any damage done to the items that the insurance adjuster may be tempted to skip, like appliances, car ports, and AC units. Pressure the insurance adjuster to document everything in their report even if you might sound like a nuisance.

Also, keep all insurance documents on hand, along with all the receipts regarding your home and its contents or any evidence of any improvements you’ve done to your home. You will likely need these to build a strong case.

Keep an inventory of your possessions, by writing down a brief description of each item, date of purchase, and info on any repairs or renovation work done in the meantime. Make sure you have before and after photos of the damaged items too.

If the initial settlement offer is too low, don’t sign anything. Most of these documents contain a provision that states you renounce your right to sue the insurance company if you accept their offer. Talk to an insurance attorney before making a move.

If all negotiations fail with the insurance adjuster, ask for an independent appraisal of your damages (most insurance policies allow it.) And if everything else fails, take your case to a lawyer.

In Conclusion

Dealing with insurance adjusters is neither easy nor fun. Because of the significant value of your home insurance claims, many insurance companies may resort to lowball tactics to give you the least amount they can legally get away with it.

Jacoby & Meyers lawyers assist clients in handling property damage even before an insurance adjuster gets to step foot in your home. A lawsuit is every insurance company’s worst nightmare, so you might notice a change in their tone and pace when an attorney is around.