There are three different types of insurance claims adjusters, and each has its own interest in mind. So it’s a good idea to figure out which type would suit you the best. The three types include staff, independent, and public.

The public adjuster is one that you personally hire that interacts with your insurance company. The benefit with public adjusters is that they are on your side and will work with you every step of the way to get you the claim payment that you deserve. The incentive for them to do so is that the more money you receive the more money they also receive. The caveat being they get a cut from the payment.

Staff and independent adjusters are similar in that they work directly with the insurance company. Staff adjusters are part of the company and can be considered your enemy in getting the maximum claim payment. Their interest aligns with the insurance company’s interests. 

The independent adjuster is a third-party that is hired by the insurance company. It can either be another insurance company or a hired public adjuster. The objective of the independent adjuster is to provide the most objective investigation aligning with neither side.

Minimize Time Before Recovery

You should contact a home insurance claims adjuster as soon as you can once the damage is done. Whether it be a public or staff adjuster. The sooner that there is an adjuster figuring out the damages and what that ultimately owes you, the sooner repairs or moving on can occur. But there is a difference between the adjusters and how long they might take.

If you’re contacting your insurance company directly then they will assign you one of their adjusters. Figuring out the damages can happen in person or on the phone, but if it is on the phone then it may be harder to get the money that you are entitled to. That is because nothing is being documented nor recorded aside from that phone call. And chances are they won’t be acting in your interest but of the insurance company’s.

The point is that it could be quick but you might not get as much as you are entitled to. But, if you contact a public adjuster, the process may take longer. This is because the more money you get from the insurance company, the more money they get from the whole process. So they may take longer looking at damages or just communicating with your insurance company to get as much money as possible.

Get It Done In-Home

When contacting an insurance claims adjuster, it’s best if you get it in your home if you seek as much as you are entitled to. Staff adjusters are not on your side, they seek to minimize the payout from your insurance company. Therefore, it’s best that when contacting an adjuster, to get the inspection done in your home to point out the damages specifically.

The caveat as said before is that it will take longer, but if potentially making more money through entitlement is worth it to you, then you shouldn’t worry about the time. If you hire a public adjuster then the caveat there is that they need to be paid so there is a chance that you can get more in reparations from a staff adjuster since they are provided by the company.

Your Interest

A staff adjuster nor an independent adjuster is working in your interest. They seek to either make it as objective as possible or to minimize compensation that you would otherwise be entitled to. But if you contact a public adjuster, they will be on your side. And either make it objective or attempt to lean it in your direction.

If you want to play it as safe as possible then going with a public adjuster is the way to go. Chances are they will be more thorough in their investigation as well as more willing to look in harder to reach areas without being pointed out. This would be all to document all damages and how severe the damage was.

Maximize Claim Payment

With the investigation being through, chances are you’d get as much out of you claim payment as you possibly could. So the best and possibly easiest way to maximize the claim payment is by contacting a public adjuster. In addition to that, you also wouldn’t have to watch your words as much or at all as compared to when speaking to an independent or staff adjuster.

The side-objective of the staff adjuster is to minimize that claim payment, while they don’t want to rip you off which would give the company a bad image. They certainly don’t want to pay you more than what they deem they should. Therefore, it’s best to watch your words of what you say and also of what you don’t say. Any fault that falls on you could reduce the payment.

The objective of the independent adjuster is to neither help you or the insurance company. Since they are a third-party they will be as objective as possible. In doing so, you will be paid what you should rather than being ripped off or even being compensated more than needed. 

No matter which adjuster you get, may it be staff, independent, or public, they should keep records and record their observations. Everything should be written out as a form of evidence that will eventually help you. It’s even a good idea for you to record conversations so that adjusters will keep their promises or statements made.

Licensed In Your State

When contacting an adjuster, it’s important that you hire or receive one that is licensed within your state. Doing so ensures that they are familiar with local costs. If they aren’t familiar with the local costs then it could mean that you get less than what you ultimately should. No matter which adjuster you get, this is important.

Contacting an Adjuster

There are three different types of adjusters. The public adjuster has your own interest in mind but needs to be paid. The staff adjuster has their insurance company’s interest. And the independent adjuster works directly with the insurance company but has no connection with it and is therefore objective.

Ultimately which one you decide on, between public or staff, is dependent on how long you want the process to last and how much of the maximum payment you’re fine with receiving. If you’re working with a staff adjuster you might not get the full amount but the process may be easier or faster. But with the public adjuster, they will be fully on your side and you would be able to trust them.