The insurance company has highly trained adjusters working for them. Those adjusters look out for the best interests of the insurance company. A public adjuster represents your best interests in the claim and makes sure you are paid every penny you are owed.
In most cases a Public Adjuster will charge a contingency fee as a percentage of new money after you are under contact. The new money is calculated after the deductible is applied. If you do not get paid on the claim you owe NOTHING to the public adjuster.
Every state has different guidelines. However, the State of Florida gives the insurance company 90 days to pay or deny a claim! The Statute for the specifics on this Florida law is Florida Statute 627.70131 (5)(a). Please click on the link and scroll down to section (5)(a). Violation of this law by an insurance company can be reported to the Department of Financial Services.
The burden of proof shifts to you the insured when making a claim for damaged contents/personal property. That means you MUST have as much proof the damaged item existed: photos, proof of purchase, make, model, serial number, etc. So the best course of action is to NOT dispose of any contents until the insurance company has made a final claim decision.
Yes, as long as the check endorsement does not state by signing the check you are agreeing to the final claim value and your endorsement is a full and final release of claim.
If your home is not inhabitable as determined by the insurance company, you are owed the increased costs for living over and above your normal cost of living right before the loss. It may seem complicated but a good public adjuster can make sure you get paid what you are owed.
You have a duty to report a covered loss immediately to the insurance company. You have a duty to protect your property from further damage after a covered loss. You have other duties as outlined in the Conditions section of your policy.
Your policy will detail if you must submit a proof of loss. Some policies only trigger a proof of loss submission only after the insurance company requests one. Other policies require a proof of loss within 60 days after you report your claim. If you do not submit a proof of loss as required, you may be in breach of contract.
By Federal law, your insurance company must protect your mortgage company’s interest in your property. If your mortgage company is not listed correctly or you no longer have a mortgage you need to get that updated immediately. ADR Florida, Inc. cannot make that update for you.