Public Insurance Adjuster

Home prices throughout the nation are at all time high and so is your stake in your home. If any catastrophe strikes your home, your home insurance would be the key to your new life. Most people do not face such a situation, but in case such a thing happens like it did in New Orleans a few months back, you will have the unfortunate recourse to facing and negotiating with your insurers on all kinds of clauses that bind your insurance policy. That's where Public Insurance Adjusters may step in.

They know the ins and outs of filing a large claim against a homeowner's policy. They take inventory, hire appraisers and engineers and negotiate with the insurer over your policy provisions. In short, they fight for a bigger settlement from your insurance company and provide peace of mind when you're most vulnerable. In return, they take a percentage of the total insurance settlement, usually around10%, depending on the size and difficulty of the claim. Their percentage may also depend on state insurance regulations, which sometimes cap the public insurer adjuster's fees.

To hire an adjucter you need to check with your state insurance department for the names of licensed firms (40 states license the profession) and ask for references. You may also visit the website of the National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (NAPIA) which lists its member firms.

We must also point out that some people see public adjusters with lot of skepticism. The insurance industry (obviously!) points out that your insurance company provides its own adjuster free of charge. Some consumer advocates call them a waste of money that could be better spent on a lawyer in the event you are not satisfied with your insurers. However, it's a choice that you can exercise depending on your situation and the amount of your claim.