How a Water Damage Claim Adjuster Helps in Achieving a Fair Settlement

Water damage claims are one common type of property claim. For insurance companies, water damage can bring about a great portion of financial expenses. This often translates to much trouble and aggravation on the part of property owners who expect a speedy and reasonable settlement.

And here is where a water damage claim adjuster comes in. Simply put, water damage claim adjusters are public adjusters. They are state-licensed and are trained experts on adjustments of property insurance loss from water damage. They are employed and consulted exclusively by property owners, who are policyholders also, who have experienced an insured loss. They help with the water claim and more significantly, water damage claim adjusters act as an advocate for the homeowner with their insurance provider. 

When Going to a Water Damage Claim Adjuster Make Sense

Policyholders may be familiar with insurance claim adjusters and their tasks. It is not common knowledge though that there are also public adjusters available from private services devoted to providing property damage-specific assistance. It has been established that there is a significant bearing on how property owners get payment from their insurance company and employing the help of specific insurance adjusters. 

In the case of water damage, they go to a water damage claim adjuster. A water damage claim adjuster helps clients with their experience and expertise in making difficult times less stressful. Water damage claim adjusters are trained professionals who can evaluate and determine how much amount can an insurance claim due to property loss from water damage is worth. This function is similar to that of an insurance adjuster only that a water damage claim adjuster represents the policyholder and not the insurance company. The water damage claim adjuster has the goal of achieving a fair settlement from the policyholder’s perspective, and not otherwise.

Water damage claim adjusters are committed to the property owners and policyholders they represent. A water damage claim adjuster is not paid upfront. They receive a certain percentage of the settlement cost obtained from the water damage claim. This percentage is also regulated by the department of insurance by the state.

So, what benefits does hiring a water damage claim adjuster have? Here are a few main benefits:

• Proper Filing of Water Damage Claims

Policyholders and property owners must look for a water damage claim adjuster as they are knowledgeable in the insurance technicalities of the policy linguistics to negotiate with the insurance firm and achieve the maximum settlement on the claim. This will ensure that the process is done in an expert and error-free manner. There are instances when the policyholder was misinformed that the policy does not cover the loss but in reality, it does.

• Skills and Expertise

Insurance policies can be cryptic and understanding every provision requires more experience than is thought from a water damage claim adjuster. Water damage insurance claim handling is an art and a science. Adjusters whether water damage claim adjusters, public adjusters in general or, insurance adjusters, must have a unique way of estimating damage losses. Complex scenarios and situations may lead to claim mishandlings when left alone and the policyholder suffers more. So, finding an experienced water damage claim adjuster with the right skills should be a priority.

• Avoiding Slipups

Putting a fair value on the water damage loss, determining and accounting for various facets of the water damage claim can be tedious for the water damage claim adjuster but are needed. The water damage claim adjuster knows that if the restoration company gets rid of the properties such as possessions and valuables before they are documented is a problem, and thus hiring one can prevent mistakes like this. Slipups, even minor ones, can result in a reduction in the claim settlement. Having a water damage claim adjuster that has a trained eye for mistakes can benefit property owners to great extents.

• Settling Claims Quicker

Any policyholder will be happier when paid quicker. Insurance companies make use of this tactic to try and get policyholders to settle fast. Hindsight is always more accurate and water damage claim adjusters know this fact. A water damage claim adjuster will not let the client, the policyholder, be forced to settle quicker at a lower rate than what he/she is entitled to. A water damage claim adjuster can negotiate to the insurance company an upfront payment while the claim is in process. Hiring a lawyer (instead of a water damage claim adjuster) that puts the claim to the court will also delay the settlement of the claim.

• Network of Associates

An experienced water damage claim adjuster firm is sure to have the right contacts to mobilize, clean up, and fix the water damage properly. Often, water damage claim adjuster firms know the best roofers, plumbers, contractors, and remediation firms. Another tactic of insurance companies is to send their affiliated contractors to start managing repairs but this is also a concern. Water damage claim adjusters see this as a problem of conflict of interests. The contractor may have agreed to a decrease in rates to win the insurance company referral and it may cost the policyholder more. These insurance-affiliated contractors may use lower quality materials and poor workmanship to compensate for costs. When there is an issue of trust, policyholders must remember that hiring a water damage claim adjuster may be the best strategy in handling complexities in insurance claims and plod the settlement forward.

An experienced water damage claim adjuster should accomplish several tasks:

• Comprehend and investigate the insurance policy on water damage
• Uphold policyholder’s rights throughout the water damage insurance claim process
• Correctly and carefully assess and give value to the scope of the property water damage
• Execute all policy provisions
• Negotiate and exploit all possible ways to arrive at a settlement in an organized and effective manner

Water Damage Claim Adjuster Strategies to Stay on Track

One best aspect of hiring water damage claim adjusters is that they can get involved at any time in the claim processing. The challenge with water damage claims that policyholders and water damage claim adjusters have is that its full scope is hard to quantify. This fact may result often in underestimated claims. The water damage claim adjuster may use these strategies to stay on track:

• Request a certified true copy of the insurance contract or policy from the insurance adjuster. The policy should indicate the coverage, limitations, and policyholder responsibilities.
• Interpret the policy language of the contract
• Begin easing the water damage but not the restoration of damaged properties. Restoration of the property should only start after the insurance company has agreed to the certain specified scopes of damage.
• Document the water damages with videos and photographs.
• Request the insurance adjuster to use pertinent technologies such as thermal imaging to accurately diagnose the extent of the damage. The water damage claim adjuster firm may also perform this if the insurance company does not.
• Attain estimates to determine the real charge of the restoration or replacement of the damaged property.
• Petition from the insurance company a written report when the claim has not been fully settled 45 days within the filing.

In closing, the water damage claim adjuster is a vital link in the water damage insurance claims procedures by being the advocate of the policyholder, setting their expectations, and eventually achieving a fair settlement.