Michigan has three kinds of Adjusters:
• #1 Company Adjuster – This adjuster is an employee
of an insurance company who has the companies best interest in adjusting claims.
• #2 Independent Adjuster – This adjuster is licensed by the State of Michigan to
contract with and represent insurance companies to evaluate and adjust,
fire, water and other hazards, and/or workers’ compensation losses. Many times
insurance companies hire independent adjusters after a disaster due to the high
volume of claims being submitted to the insurer.
• #3 Public Adjuster These Adjusters work for the Insured
– an individual licensed by the State of Michigan who offers services for a fee to
policyholders who want help getting the maximum for their claim.
“What is A Publuc Adjuster? And What Do They Do?”
Michigan Public Adjusters fall in the category of insurance adjuster who work exclusively for the policyholder, and work on your behalf against the insurance company adjusters.
The three types of “insurance adjusters” are… #1 Insurance Company Adjusters (often referred to as simply the “Insurance Adjuster”) works for the Insurance Company to minimize your claim. #2 An Independent Adjuster also works on the behalf of Insurance Companies, not for Policyholders. They are simply an Independent Agent rather than an employee, so an Independent Adjuster could be working for multiple Insurance Companies at one time. #3 A Public Adjuster represents the only category of Adjuster that works exclusively for Policyholders and never for Insurance Companies. This means there´s no inherent conflict of interest when it comes to advocating on your behalf to the insurance company.
After known property damage, a Public Adjuster may contact you and offer assistance. It is important for you to know what questions to ask in order to determine if the adjuster is from a competent and ethical firm and whether he or she is the best Adjuster to represent you and your particular type of claim.
Without assistance from a certified licensed Michigan Public Adjuster, some coverage may be overlooked and not documented correctly, structural integrity and contents damages could be missed, and the claim could be long and drawn out, all leading to a reduction in the final Insurance Company settlement. The Insurance Company Adjuster is primarily concerned with making sure that the Insurance Company does not pay any more than they have to. That’s where we come in.
The same reason you wouldn’t go to court without a lawyer—you shouldn’t settle a Property Damage Claim with your Insurance Company without your own Adjuster to represent you. Insurance Companies have inside Adjusters working for them to minimize your claim / Public Adjusters work for you to maximize it and make sure you get everything due under your policy!
Public Adjusters are experts at what they do, settling Insurance Claims on the behalf of the Insured. They know everything there is to know about Insurance Policies, types of claims, how to negotiate better settlements, and every imaginable type of home and commercial property damage claim. A public adjuster must go through rigorous training, be licensed, bonded, fingerprinted, and pass a background check in the state of Michigan. Public Adjusters are definitely necessary when dealing with large total loss claims and catastrophic property damage do to the complexiity of structure, contents and electronics . However, if you need to file a claim for some minor damages to your property that don’t amount to much, bringing in a public adjuster may not be needed as for smaller claims the independent or company adjusters pay what is do and sometimes more.
Insurance Claims handled by a Licensed Public Adjuster are pretty cut and dried. They file the claim, stay in constant communication with your Insurance Provider, and get the policyholder a fair and just settlement. The fact is, by letting a Certified Public Adjuster handle your Insurance Claim, things will move faster than if you handled it yourself. This is because often the Insurance Company will give you the runaround. They know well homeowners and commercial property owners are usually not well-versed in the language of Insurance Policies. A qualified Public Adjuster knows the Insurance game inside and out and can move things along quickly because that is what they do best.
Speak To You Agent First When Filing A Claim
When disaster strikes first contact you independent insurance agent to report a loss. They are the ones who wrote your policy in the first place and have the knowledge and experience to help start the claims process for you. Your agent will also help to answer any questions you may have about the Insurance Companies Adjusters and Hiring a Public Adjuster.
