The short answer is, every industry has bad apples. Lawyers are accused of ambulance chasing, contractors are accused of taking money and not doing the work, service companies are accused of always finding something wrong when they are just doing a service check, etc.
What do we do as Public Adjusters?
There are two main reasons PA’s have a bad rap. One is that they are aggressive in getting customers, and the other is the belief that a Public Adjuster takes a piece of the claim settlement that leaves the policyholder short of insurance proceeds. While we can’t speak to the first, we can speak to the latter. Leaving a client short of funds is just not true. If you look at all the data, Public Adjusters usually always get more than the carrier initially wanted to offer. Why? Because we know what you are entitled to, we know your policy, and we use that knowledge to negotiate a settlement much more than you could get on your own.
How many insurance claims have you handled in your life? That’s all a Public Adjuster does, day in, day out. We’ve handled thousands of claims, from very large condos, to restaurant chains, business & residential properties, and even trailers. The fact is that a PA does all the work in dealing with the carrier, and typically yields a higher payout. So we ask, what’s wrong with that?
The job of a Public Adjuster is to estimate the property damage, and use that estimate to negotiate a fair settlement with the carrier.
Why hire a Public Adjuster?
If you managed a large association, would you simply rely on your insurance company’s adjuster to represent YOU? You do realize that the adjuster works for, and is paid by, the Insurance Company. Why wouldn’t you want someone that is directly representing you? Pizza Hut had 12 locations up and down the coast after Hurricane Wilma. There was no way their site managers knew how to assess the damage. So they hired us to meet their adjuster, at every location, and estimate the damage and negotiate a settlement of over a million dollars. In another instance, a large condo complex had a claim and thought they only needed $600.000. We got them $1,200,000.
Being in business for close to 20 years, we can say with certainty that we get our clients more than they typically get on their own. So, this more than covers our fee and we do all the work in dealing with the carrier. Florida Loss has been in business close to 20 years, and has handled countless claims ranging from fire, plumbing, and hurricanes dating back to Charley/Katrina/Ike, etc.
Handling your own claim is like going to court without representation. While we all know there may be PA’s that are not reputable. Do your homework and find one you’re comfortable with. We hope you choose Florida Loss Public Adjusters, but if you don’t, make sure you are represented.