The Pros and Cons of Using a Public Adjuster (2024)

Advantages of Using a Public Adjuster

Public adjusters are experts at what we do. We know everything there is to know about insurance, types of claims, how to negotiate better settlements, and every imaginable type of home and commercial property damage claim. Becoming one of us is not an easy thing to do. A public adjuster must go through rigorous training, be licensed, bonded, fingerprinted, and pass a background check. In Florida, you must apprentice under a licensed public adjuster for six months before you can become licensed yourself.

Property damage is no picnic. Even if you have insurance that you know will cover your loss, there is going to be stress involved. Often times even heartache. If you have lost your home or business to fire, for example, or flooding, you are going to be devastated. On top of that, if your insurance company gives your grief about the proper settlement for repairs or replacement cost to return you to your pre-loss condition, that only piles on more stress. These are among just a few of the reasons you need a public adjuster to handle a major insurance claim. You need an expert, an objective third-party involved in negotiations to keep everything calm, cool, and collected and make sure you get the money you deserve in your settlement.

A report from the Florida OPPAGA, a legislative office of policy analysis, states that a public adjuster gets policyholders on average 747% more in their insurance settlement than if they had not used one. This is proof positive that by using a public adjuster you’re assured much more money for your insurance claim.

Disadvantages of Using a Public Adjuster

1. Some Handle Only Major Property Damage Claims

Don’t allow the myths of public adjusting deter you from the fact that public adjusters are definitely necessary when dealing with expensive claims and catastrophic property damage. Don’t take our word for it, get it straight from our thousands of clients, with Google reviews and Facebook reviews. However, if you’re attempting to file a claim for some minor damages that don’t amount to much, bringing in a public adjuster may be hard, because many of them won’t take claims valued at less than $10,000.00. Noble handles claims of all sizes.

2. Percentage of Settlement

Everyone deserves payment for his or her services. That is how we make a living. However, the fact remains, the public adjuster you choose to hire to handle your insurance claim doesn’t get paid until you do. Public adjusters are paid a percentage of the claim settlement. Though this encourages us to work harder for that final settlement, it can also be a negative if we fail to get a higher settlement. If you don’t get paid, neither do we. Some claims end up going to court, when the insurance company refuses to admit that they owe. Ninety nine percent of damage claims that go to court are ruled in favor of the insured, not the insurance company. So we go in knowing we will win.

3. TheProcess Can Take Time

Most of the time, insurance claims handled by a public adjuster are pretty cut and dried. We file the claim, we stay in constant communication with your insurance provider, and we get the policyholder a just settlement. The fact is, by letting a public adjuster handle your claim, things will move faster than if you handled it yourself. This is because often the insurance company will give you the runaround. They know well that homeowners and commercial property owners are usually not well-versed in the language of insurance. A qualified public adjuster knows the insurance game inside and out. We move things along because that is what we do best. But as stated above, if things go further than a simple and fast settlement and the claim ends up in court, the process is extended,dependent upon the attorney and county in which the case is heard.

As you can see, the pros far outweigh the cons when it comes to hiring a public adjuster to handle your insurance claim for home or commercial property loss. If you need to hire the best, contact us today!