Florida has a cast iron pipe problem. It may affect your own home or business. Are you aware of the special issues around insurance claims for cast iron pipe damage? If so, you may have asked yourself what your first step should be. Go it alone? No. Engage a public adjuster or lawyer. But which one? It’s a good question.
WHAT IS A PUBLIC ADJUSTER?
A public claims adjuster is a professional licensed by the State of Florida. This license permits him or her to represent policyholders to their insurance companies. State law tightly regulates the profession. For example, it forbids adjusters to file claims where there isn’t coverage damage to insured property. The law, moreover, sets what public adjusters can and cannot say in ads. Floridians can engage public adjusters with confidence.
The know-how studied by public adjusters is enriched by experience. Licensing requires a minimum prior term of employment in the field. The licensing exam is tough and detailed. In addition, Florida public adjusters have to refresh and update their skill base with continuing education. Getting the maximum legitimate payout for cast iron piping claims takes a lot of special expertise, not to mention previous claims experience.
- Identifying your cast iron pipe issue is truly a claim
- Documenting damage
- Putting an accurate dollar value on physical damages
- Computing any losses from business interruption
- Restarting settled claims if a client was entitled to more money
- Filing insurance claims properly
- Negotiating with insurance companies
PROPERTY DAMAGE LAWYERS
Property damage lawyers, too, are state licensed professionals, like all lawyers. Their skill set, though, is different from that of public adjusters. The law, of course, governs insurance policies and claims. Lawyers advocate for clients through the law. They’re experts in legal conflict. If need be, a property damage lawyer can file and argue a lawsuit on a client’s behalf.
PUBLIC ADJUSTER OR LAWYER?
In a word, a public adjuster. That is, unless and until the insurance company stonewalls or lowballs their payout offer so badly, that it is necessary for the Public Adjuster to bring in an attorney with legal ‘teeth’. This doesn’t happen often, but when it does the attorneys are usually brought in at no additional cost to the client. Public adjusters, after all, work on a contingency basis. Clients pay them a percentage of money recovered from the insurance company. Hence, public adjusters don’t take cases in which they don’t find legitimate covered damages. When they take a case, therefore, their financial interest is the same as the client’s.
You may think you’re in good hands with your property insurer. With cast iron piping damage, though, you’ll find those hands don’t hand over money easily. Florida Loss Public Adjusters knows how to make it happen. That, after all, is what we do.