Any experience with a public adjuster in an insurance claim?

Question

Has anyone worked with a public adjuster on Long Island (Nassau County or Suffolk County) or in the New York City area to help with an insurance claim?  If you have any advice or experience to share, pros and/or cons, it would be helpful & appreciated.

Matthew Olszak · Answer

I'm a public adjuster (not in NY though). Definitely hire one for a property damage claim, auto claims its not necessary. The insurance companies are absolutely brutal. The agents - they're great. Friendly, caring, etc. But the company adjusters and 3rd party adjusters are for the most part out to pay as little as you'll accept, or outright deny your claim. For example, wood rot is not covered in most policies. So you have a roof leak, the underlayment is rotted, they say they won't pay for it. BUT, the shingle manufacturer requires a nailable surface, which a rotted wood board is not, so they are required to pay for it under that. Same for a collapsed sewer pipe - they won't pay for the repair to the pipe, but they do need to pay for the damages caused to access that pipe like removing flooring, drywall, concrete, etc. However many times they won't tell you that, they'll just deny coverage and act like they fought so hard to get it approved but the coverage is just not there (when it certainly is).

A good public adjuster will more than pay for their fee with the extra $$ they'll get you. Don't trust the insurance company adjusters, they work for the insurance company only. In what other field would you trust the person who owes you money to tell you how much they owe you?

If you need a referral to a good PA in NY, shoot me a message and I'll send you a couple.

Tom Harkins · Answer

@Jacob Beg Some pitfalls are the amount of work it took to be thorough (it was like having another full-time job at points), and potentially missing things that a public adjuster would catch. I also chose to hire a contractor who specialized in insurance restorations. They used the exact same estimation software for construction labor & materials as my insurance, and got together to agree on the scope before work started. Because of their experience, I was able to get parts of the work covered under code upgrades for things that I did not build back exactly as they were before the claim (e.g. moving plumbing to expand a bathroom).

At the end of the day, no one is going to care more about your property than you. I personally wasn’t comfortable handing over the management of the claim process to someone else. I also rented nearby and could be at the property frequently. Given that you are out of state and your adjuster is playing hardball (mine didn't), it may make sense to interview a few public adjusters and see if their cost is worth what they can provide in your situation.

Tom Harkins · Answer

@Suzanne Player If you want a counterpoint, I navigated a major claim not long ago without a public adjuster. It was in Maryland. If I had to do it all over again, I’d make the same decision. I did a ton of research and talked to dozens of people in the insurance industry before reaching a decision. Also take into account your willingness, availability, and temperament to navigate the process on your own. It will be a ton of work.  If you decide to hire one, public adjusters will take a large % of the claim when all is said and done. Best of luck.

Suzanne Player · Answer

We did & it was only a fixed percentage of the amount received from the insurance company, no other fees.   NY has a cap on the % that public adjusters can charge.

Mak K. · Answer

So did you hire a PA? Also besides PA fees what other fees did they charge you?

Suzanne Player · Answer

@Jacob Beg Do you have a strong construction background?

Water damage can be very slight or extensive, can't tell much about your situation without details

If the public adjusters in your area will come to the property & take a look & talk to you about it, why not interview 3 to see what they might be able to do?  Best to get recommendations if you can, you also might find one through a professional organization for Public Adjusters such as:

https://www.napia.com/custom_m...

Jacob Beg · Answer

@Tom Harkins- I am quite late in asking this, but what were some of the pitfalls or perhaps disadvantages in dealing with a claim yourself? I have  water damage in one of my properties in MD, and the IA is playing hard ball. He is already insinuating that much of the damage won't be covered. It is early days and I am an out of state investor, and I am seriously contemplating getting an adjuster involved.

I am capable of dealing with the IA, but sometimes it is better to have an independent eye without the emotional investment. Any advice?

Any experience with a public adjuster in an insurance claim?

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