Public Adjuster

What Is A Public Adjuster?

Public adjusters are insurance adjusters who work solely for the policyholder and not the insurance carrier.

How does that differ from other adjusters?

Company or “insurance” adjusters work for the insurance company, not you.

Independent adjusters also work for the insurance companies, not you. (These adjusters are simply independent agents rather than full time employees. An independent agent is likely working for many different insurance companies simultaneously.)

But a public adjuster signifies the only type of insurance adjuster who works soley for policyholders and not for the insurance companies.

Why does that matter? It means general public adjusters have no conflict of attention when negotiating on your behalf with the insurance companies.

It also means that public adjusters will usually contact you after a disaster. Knowing what questions to ask is key to distinguishing between reliable and untrustworthy firms

Who Are Public Adjusters?

Accredited general public adjusters, or qualified professionals who represent your company’s interests and not that of the insurance company, are adept at decoding the technical language of your policy and the often-convoluted procedures required for claims due to fire, wind, explosion, water, vandalism and other disaster claims.

A Certified Professional Public Adjuster (CPPA) is a professional who has a minimum of five yrs of experience and has passed an exam to earn certification.

A Senior Professional Public Adjuster (SPPA) has a minimum of ten years experience and has passed a senior certification exam. Both CPPAs and SPPAs comply with continuing professional advancement education to keep up-to-day on the ever-changing insurance industry.

The types of companies who hire public adjusters to represent them by preparing, filing and adjusting insurance claims include commercial businesses, public and private institutions, professional program firms, and residential property owners.

Why Do I Need A Public Adjuster?

Because public claims adjusters aren’t connected to your insurance company in any way, there is no conflict of interest. A general public adjuster's sole objective is to make certain you receive the maximum monetary compensation due to you as outlined by your policy.

Choosing an accredited public insurance adjuster is essential because it ensures that your adjuster adheres to a strict code of ethics because established by the profession’s national association, the National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters, or NAPIA.

Could you process your own claim? Sure. But doing so will not only get you away from getting your business back on track after your property loss, but you may not achieve as successful a settlement as a trained professional who handles thousands of similar instances every year. Chances are your general public adjuster offers handled numerous cases just like yours with your particular insurance carrier and understands the idiosyncrasies and specific obstacles that corporation represents. Besides, a typical policy has hundreds of provisions, stipulations, riders and multiple forms that are constantly being updated; keeping up-to-day on these modifications is part of each general public adjusters professional advancement. You, as a newcomer to the insurance claim system, are unlikely to be aware of these complex settlement requirements, further slowing the process and ultimately delay and potentially adversely effect payment.