FloodHero.com – Flood Insurance Public Adjusters

A Public Insurance Adjuster is a licensed and bonded insurance professional who assists policyholders with the complicated insurance claim process when they suffer an insured loss, such as a flood.

There are three types of insurance adjusters:

• Insurance Company Adjuster - is employed by an insurance company to represent the insurance company in dealing with your claim. The insurance company adjuster’s main responsibility is to protect the interests of the insurance company.
• Independent Adjuster - is hired by insurance companies to represent them in dealing with you, your loss, and your damages. The independent adjuster’s main responsibility is to protect the interests of the insurance company.
• Public Adjuster - is the only Adjuster specifically licensed to represent you, the Insured. The Public Adjuster’s main responsibility is to protect you and your interests in claims against a loss with the Insurance Company.

A STUDY BY THE FLORIDA OFFICE OF PROGRAM POLICY ANALYSIS AND GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY SHOWED THAT POLICYHOLDERS AVERAGED PAYMENTS 747% HIGHER WHEN REPRESENTED BY PUBLIC ADJUSTERS

If you have just suffered an insured flood loss following a natural disaster, it's probably not the best time to take a crash course on how to properly present an insurance claim. You may be dealing with a multitude of other matters, such as finding housing or an alternate business location, dealing with the emotional trauma of a loss, or simply going about your daily responsibilities – like work and family. God forbid you should also be dealing with injuries or the unthinkable in connection with the event. Consider these three points:

IT IS UP TO YOU TO PROVE THE EXTENT OF YOUR LOSS TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY.
»» The Standard Flood Insurance Policy is approximately 47 pages long and contains numerous provisions and stipulations – written in technical and legal terms.
»» Most people have difficulty understanding what can appear to be a lot of legal mumbo jumbo.
   » For example, did you know that in order for the insurance company to compensate you for your loss, there are certain conditions which YOU must satisfy?
   » Did you know that your failure to satisfy these policy requirements could reduce your settlement amount or even cause your claim to be denied?
»» Don't feel bad. Most people don't know these things.
»» A qualified and trained public insurance adjuster whom you trust can help make sure you meet all of the policy conditions, document your loss, and get your claim paid.

NO MATTER HOW ORGANIZED YOU AND YOUR DOCUMENTATION ARE, FILING AND RECEIVING PAYMENT ON A CLAIM IS A TIME-CONSUMING AND TEDIOUS PROCESS.
»» If you are not sufficiently organized and your loss is not properly documented, you may not receive the proper compensation for which you have paid the premium and to which you are entitled.
»» Unless FEMA extends the deadline, you only have 60 days to file a “Proof of Loss,” which is a sworn document telling your insurance company what it will cost to repair your home.
»» This is usually provided by the insurance company adjuster, but you need to make sure that the Proof of Loss and the attached estimate of repairs are all thorough, correct, complete, and filed on time!
»» Your public adjuster will ensure the Proof of Loss is filed on time and that it requests the full amount to which you’re entitled.

A LICENSED, BONDED, AND QUALIFIED PUBLIC ADJUSTER HAS THE EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE, AND EXPERTISE TO OBTAIN YOUR MAXIMUM ENTITLEMENTS UNDER YOUR POLICY.
»» Remember that the insurance company adjuster is representing the insurance company.
»» It is not uncommon for the insurance company to misinterpret their own insurance policy or forget to apply case law or Federal Law which supersede the Standard Flood Insurance Policy.
»» A public insurance adjuster will know current laws as they affect insurance losses, and how to best represent you.
»» A public insurance adjuster has resources to help you through the maze of estimating, documenting, and filing your insurance claims.

• If you haven’t advised your insurance carrier of your loss yet, we will contact them for you to initiate the claim
• We will come to your house and thoroughly document the damage using moisture meters, thermal imaging equipment, video, and 360-degree photos.
• We will write an itemized estimate detailing the work that will be required to repair your house to its “pre-loss condition.” We use the same estimating software (Xactimate) that more than 85% of insurance companies use, and we have the highest Xactimate certification. (Less than 250 adjusters in the country have a Level 3 certification, and only 6 in the Carolinas hold it)
• We will work with your general contractor, the remediation company, and the insurance company’s adjuster to make sure everyone is on the same page and you’re paid what you’re owed!
• We will also look into the general contractor of your choice to ensure they’re licensed contractors to work in your area (this lessens the likelihood of a fly-by-night contractor).
• We will keep in contact with you throughout the claim and update you on the status whenever we have an update.
• You’ll also have access to our client portal where you can check on our progress