What to do if you disagree with the insurance adjuster
Being in a situation where an insurance claim from your home insurance
company can be stressful. Whether the outcome was due to a natural disaster
or some other event, you are now facing much hardship. When you find out
that your insurance company's adjuster has sent you a lower-than-expected
claim, you may be upset and worried. However, there are plenty of options
to settle these issues and ensure you get a fair shake from the insurance
company. Know that you can always hire a skilled home insurance attorney.
1. Understand your coverage
Contacting an insurance company or adjuster is never a good idea unless
you fully understand your policy. Make sure you read the fine print on
your policy to ensure you don't miss anything that could have led
to a lower claim. Sometimes, especially during a crisis, we may overlook
or misunderstand insurance coverage details. Take time to check the fine
print before taking any further action.
2. Review the claim
If you've been through your policy and find nothing to suggest the
claim should be lower than what you've calculated, talk to your insurance
carrier. You can ask for a review of the insurance claim where the insurance
company provides details of how they reached a specific settlement figure.
Keep a log of all documents sent by the insurance company or any conversations
you have with the company and a claims adjuster. If your case goes to
court, documenting these details will help you a lot.
3. Disputing their decision
Calmly and politely is the best way to approach an insurance claim dispute.
First, you can write a letter to the independent adjuster explaining why
you believe their total settlement is not enough compared to what you
calculated. Even if you're upset, don't demonstrate it. If you
behave cordially in this process, you have a much better chance of a positive
outcome. You should hear from the claims adjuster within ten to fourteen
days. We note that our experience shows that there is an eighty-five percent
chance for your property damage claim to be underpaid by at least ten
thousand dollars.
4. Request an on-site inspection
If you spoke multiple times with the claims adjuster and you are upset
that the letter did not help. You may want to request an in-home visit.
This is an excellent opportunity to showcase your home's damage and
show why it is more significant than what is stated in the adjuster's
claims document. You may even want an attorney on your side to prove the
damage and cost of repairing the damage.
5. Complain
Now that you've tried everything to deal with the insurance company's
claims adjuster, it's time to complain. The best way to complain is
through a home insurance lawyer. The only thing that the insurance company
hates more than someone pursuing a valid insurance claim is a home insurance
attorney. Insurance companies spend hundreds of millions of dollars demonizing
consumer lawyers so that homeowners won't hire them.