3 Dos And Don’ts Of Dealing With Insurance Adjusters
Claims adjusting accounts for a $10 billion industry in the United States today. It’s common for people to file claims of all types anytime their homes encounter damage.
When you have a claim on your hands, an insurance adjuster will come out to your property to take inventory of the damage and determine what kind of payout you should receive.
Here are the Dos and Don’ts of dealing with insurance adjuster claims.
Dealing With an Insurance Adjuster… DO
So, what are the biggest to-do’s to keep in mind when dealing with an adjuster? Whether you’re dealing with an insurance adjuster after water damage, mold issues, hurricane damage, or other problems, remember the following:
1. Fully Understand the Incident
If you are going to deal with an insurance adjuster for home claims, make sure that you’re fully aware of what happened. You need to be able to explain the damage in detail, along with the date, how it happened, and what work needs to be done in the aftermath.
The clearer you can explain these issues to your adjuster, the sooner you’ll get the ball rolling on your payout.
2. Document All Damages
You need to have your ducks in a row to recover all your damages. Take photos, videos, and any other kind of documentation it requires. Write out what items are damaged, along with the condition beforehand and the extent of the damage.
The more transparent you are upfront, the greater your chances of recovery, and the easier it’ll be to avoid the games insurance adjusters play. Keep your documentation on hard drives and in the cloud so that you’re always able to furnish proof.
3. Make an Accurate Statement
In order to handle insurance claims, make sure that you’re consistent in your narrative of events. Your statement should be as accurate as possible and should remain that way throughout every rendition.
Written statements should also match verbal statements and should remain consistent with what you tell the contractors hired to do any restoration work.
Dealing With an Insurance Adjuster… DON’T
Now that you know what to do, what about what not to do? Here are some mistakes that you should avoid:
1. Hire Just Any Adjuster
It’s tempting to want to get the process over with, to the point of hiring the first adjuster that you come across. Instead, put some time, thought, and energy into who you hire.
They should be professionally vetted and should have glowing references that speak to their skill and character.
2. Embellish Your Losses
Many people also make the mistake of overselling their losses and damages. Keep everything strictly factual so that you don’t raise any questions about your claim.
Everything will go smoothly when the amounts that you’re claiming seem reasonable and not inflated.
3. Rush to Make a Settlement
Finally, never rush to make a settlement. While you surely want to move forward and put the situation past you, rushing to do so won’t get you the claim amount that you deserve.
Take your time to optimize your claim, and don’t shy away from taking legal measures if it comes to that. If you run into any further issues, don’t hesitate to hire an expert attorney that can take your case.
Dealing with Insurance Adjuster 101
These tips will help you in dealing with insurance adjuster issues as they come along. Now that you’re up to speed, we’re happy to be your one-stop shop for other relevant topics.
Begin with these points and rely on our content for more advice on homeownership, real estate, and other issues.
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