Why Hire AJR Public Adjusters

Upon discovering your property has damage, it’s best to contact AJR immediately so we can help you report your claim. Delaying in engaging our services puts your entitled recovery amount at risk. It is in your best interest to contact AJR immediately to ensure that you receive the best information. Your interest and the insurance company’s interest are not the same. While commercials may suggest that insurance companies have your back, this is not always the truth.

Insurance carriers’ claim centers often ask tricky questions to confuse policyholders into saying things that may compromise their claim’s coverage. As the saying goes, “Anything you say can and will be used against you.” To protect yourself against these errors, contacting a public adjuster at the first sign of damage to your home or business is best. The public adjuster will gather all the correct, pertinent information and help report the claim to the carrier in a promptly and efficiently manner.

There are three types of adjusters: a company adjuster, who is on staff with the insurance company; an independent adjuster, who is hired by the insurance company and paid to handle their claims and protect their interests; and a public adjuster, who is the only adjuster that advocates for the policyholder. The public adjuster works only for the policyholder, representing their interest and maximizing their claim rather than minimizing it for the insurance company.

You want to make sure you hire an experienced licensed public adjuster. All public adjusters must hold an active license in the state. A public adjuster with many years of experience is valuable, as they have seen many things in the industry. The adjuster should also have good, valid references with whom you can speak about their experiences. The National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (NAPIA) is the industry’s oldest and largest professional organization. Their website provides many helpful links.

Think about it: the insurance company makes out better if you are not on a level playing field with them. They use terminology special to the insurance industry that you may need help understanding. Hiring your expert will continue the process; it puts you in the same league as the insurance adjuster. 

Insurance contracts can be a confusing mix of words, leaving policyholders needing clarification on what coverage actually may be. Though your insurance agent placed your coverage, their allegiance is to the insurance company. Additionally, they might be unable to clarify your questions to your satisfaction.

If you were called to the IRS for an audit, would you take an accountant to represent your interests? Why would you deal with an insurance company’s professional adjuster without someone representing your interests professionally?

Claim adjusting is a specialized industry. It is more than just putting numbers to the paper and receiving all you have requested. There is negotiation involved in the process, and preparing the claim to put you in the best situation for this negotiation. Relying on your insurance company to calculate the amount of damage and honestly putting forth what you are owed, you are not likely to recover a full, fair settlement.

Insurance companies in the business of turning a profit send out their adjuster, who may value damages to your property differently than you. They often decide you are not covered for some of your damages. Usually, their offer will not even come close to the value needed to restore the damaged property.

Proving again where AJR, an experienced expert and Arizona’s Best Public Adjuster, can help put you in the same ballpark as the insurance company.

Many times, companies send out solicitors to “sign up” losses. In times of desperation, many people engage in services they later realize might not have been in their best interests. The solicitors who sign the claim possibly will not handle the claim. You always want to make sure you know who will be personally handling your claim. 

You want to feel comfortable with that person, their level of experience, and their demeanor. They will represent you against the insurance company, and you need to feel comfortable with someone putting your best foot forward in negotiations.

Once you sign a contract with a public adjuster, they will notify your insurance company. At this point, all correspondence will be directed towards the public adjuster. The public adjuster should continuously keep you informed and updated on all correspondence and make you aware of the progress of your claim.

Mitigation/restoration companies sent out by the insurance company are accountable to the insurance company. Their bread-and-butter business comes directly from the insurance company; protecting you and your concerns with your claim is not in their best interests. AJR works with many restoration/mitigation companies that have one job: to satisfy their clients rather than the insurance company. 

Insurance companies send out their preferred contractor, whose job is to define and estimate repair costs. These companies, as stated previously, are measuring the loss for the insurance company, not for YOU. Their job is to protect the insurance company’s financial goals, not your goals as the policyholder.

A state-licensed public adjuster is the only licensed person representing a policyholder with an insurance claim or a lawyer. The benefit of hiring a public adjuster over a lawyer is one: it needs to make more economic sense. Number two is the daily experience the Public Adjuster has in this field. Lawyers are qualified to do this work but work on many other cases beside this type of business. Public adjusters review and handle claims 365 days a year and stay current with education on new laws/rules for adjusting.

Contractors, mitigation companies, and restoration companies are not authorized to represent you in insurance claim negotiations, nor are they professionally licensed or regulated by your state insurance department/agency to do so.

No one should ever request a power of attorney to be signed over. It’s a BIG RED FLAG. Public adjusters have state-licensed contracts that clients must sign. The state determines these.

Insurance companies lead you to believe that a quick payout is in your best interests. Policyholders will be more satisfied and look favorably on the carrier. BIG MISTAKE. What looks like excellent customer service may be an attempt to settle a claim and convince you to settle for less money due to the stress you are under and just a desire to “finish the claim.” We recommend taking your time and making sure you are completely protected. Don’t feel rushed or sign anything until you understand all your claim’s ramifications.

Severe property damage creates all kinds of complicated issues. The coverage you are due under your policy and damage you can’t see may be missed. Experienced professional help ensures you will not miss damages that can be submitted as part of your claim.

Insurance carriers must responds to you and process your claim within a specified period when certain conditions are met. A public adjuster understands these nuances and can assist with this process. If you are getting the run-around with your claim, seek immediate help from an expert in this field.

The public adjuster is paid on a contingency fee basis. Be careful when interviewing adjusters; this fee should be at most 25%. Not the cost you agree to pay depends upon the size, type of loss, and status of the loss.

The contract you sign is between you and the adjuster, not the insurance company. With their knowledge and experience, the adjuster is better suited to maximize your claim and get a better return than handling a claim without their professional advice.

Supposed the insurance company offers a dollar amount not enough to cover your losses. In that case, you can invoke the appraisal clause in your policy. This process is similar to arbitration in other fields. You, the policyholder, can demand an appraisal. Each side chooses an appraiser, and they agree on an umpire. The appraisers will determine the value of the property and the amount of loss. If they can’t agree, the decision will go to the umpire, and the award will be binding if two out of three agree. A public adjuster can act as your appraiser if this situation arises.

We hear this question often, and the answer is NO; public adjusters are not attorneys. They are state-licensed professionals whose sole job is representing policyholders in insurance claim negotiations with insurance companies. 

Knowledge is essential, and public adjusters specialize exclusively in this industry. Their experience and information gained over the years, put public adjusters in the best position to negotiate your claim. When deciding whom to engage to represent your best interests in a claim, there is a monetary consideration.

Sometimes an attorney is needed, especially if legal issues arise in your claim. Denial of a claim and bad faith are two examples of conditions that require attorney representation.

YES, you can engage a public adjuster as long as you did not sign a full and final release. You may be required to sign a proof of loss or partial proof of loss to receive  a check from the insurance company. You need to be aware of statutes of limitations that may apply to your claim.

There are many factors included in rate determination. Your rates aren’t guaranteed to rise or be dropped by the insurance company if you file a claim. With that in mind, it is not recommended to file claims for every small loss to your property. It may work against you in the future if insurance companies see you consistently filing claims for minor damages. 

We buy insurance to protect us in times of loss. If you are still deciding whether if you file claim or not give AJR a call. We will discuss your situation and help you decide the best action to move forward.

At this point, please reach out to a licensed, experienced public adjuster. An evaluation of the policy and documentation needs to be made to determine if you are giving up all future rights by depositing this check. AJR does not charge a fee to evaluate your situation at every step along the way.

A quality, licensed public adjuster should be able to provide at least three references for you to speak with about their claims. When speaking with the references, consider asking a few questions:

• If you had another disaster, would you hire this public adjuster again?
• Was the service you received woth the cost?
• After you signed the contract, was the same adjuster involved with your claim, or did someone else take over at the firm?
• How long did it take to settle the claim?
• Was your settlement enough to restore the property to its prior condition?
• Were you able to get enough money to replace your damage personal property?
• Did the public adjuster keep you abreast of all that was happening in your claim?
• Did the public adjuster take your phone calls promptly?