How to Choose a Public Adjuster

For a homeowner, going through a flood, a fire, or seeing your property damaged by smoke, or needing to repair extensive damage due to a storm, has to be among the worst possible nightmares. As if that was not stressful enough, you may discover your mailbox full of brochures and letters that make all sorts of promises regarding how fast the repairs can get done but also how much money a public adjuster can help you recover from your insurance company. Some of those claims may be true and others may be suspect. But the idea of working with a public adjuster has been planted in your mind and now it's time for you to find the right one to take care of your property and your claim.

How do you go about selecting the right public adjuster to work with?

The importance of working with a public adjuster that has experienced your type of claim while making you feel comfortable turning your claim over to cannot be overstated. You want to work with someone that will not make you feel pressured or intimidated. That is why you should take the time to find the perfect adjuster. To do so, use the following criteria:

• Don't be hasty and hire the first public adjuster you meet. They may be very good at marketing themselves but that does not necessarily mean they have the best abilities to serve your needs.

• Make sure they are members of credited associations such as the National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (NAPIA). This fact alone should serve to reassure you of the professional capacity of your public adjuster since they have strict ethical standards for their members.

• Don't be swayed by what sounds like unrealistic promises of what they can do for you. You want someone that will start off by reading your policy, reviewing it, and taking the time to tour your property and closely evaluate the damage. You need someone that will take the time to sit with you, understand what happened, assess your loss, and review all pertinent documents before outlining a cohesive plan of action.

• Make sure the public adjuster is licensed by the state of Indiana or the state where the damage occurred. Also, keep in mind that a public adjuster can never have a financial interest in your loss, except for the contracted fee.

• Request some references from previous clients. Look for references from clients that had claims similar to yours and make sure they are both local and recent. A client that is 10 years old might not have a claim that is relevant to today's laws and building codes.

• Ask how familiar they are with your own insurance company. Have they worked with them before? What have been the results?

• Beware of a public adjuster who is willing to work on your claim for what appears to be an unreasonably small percentage. If most adjusters charge between 5% and 20% and they are quoting you a much lower percentage don't be flattered but take it as a red flag. Will they dedicate as much time as needed to your claim if they are working for so much less?

No doubt about it, finding the ideal public adjuster is not an easy task. Take the time to find the right one for you.

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