Being burglarized or losing your home to a fire or other disaster is a stressful enough situation to be facing.
You may be left not only scared and in shock from the accident itself, but also unsure of what the future will hold and how you will rebuild.
To add to this confusion, imagine the shock when you call your insurance agent, who has seemed to be your friend until this point, and are met instead with an adversary.
In the blink of an eye, you've lost your home and or belongings, and the person you thought would help you rebuild your life has turned into a monster.
Where do you go for help? When you file your claim your insurer will send and adjuster out to inspect the damage.
They will return with a settlement offer.
You do not need to accept this offer if you feel it is unfair, despite what your insurance company leads you to believe.
Building your case is very important.
As soon as possible you should document what happened, gather the police reports and take photos and video of the damages.
Document every conversation you have with your insurer and any professional involved in the situation.
You should then get three estimates from local contractors that have good reputations in your area.
If you find that the estimates do not match what your insurance company is offering, it is time to get professional help.
A public adjuster is a professionally licensed individual that specializes in these types of insurance situations.
They will do an appraisal as to the extent of damages and calculate what you should be receiving.
They generally will take 5-15% of your settlement from your claim, but the benefit to this is that they get more when you get more, so you can rest assured they would be doing everything in their power to get you the most money possible.
Because the public adjuster works for you instead of the insurance company, they will not cut any corners and are under no obligation to help the insurance company save money.
You can find out who in your area is a licensed public insurance adjuster by contacting the National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters.
There are twelve states that currently do not require licensing, but those twelve states still maintain a list of those who volunteered to take and pass the exams, making those individuals a better bet for your investment.
Keep track of all of your costs while you are outside of your home waiting on repairs or a settlement.
Keep receipts and be sure to present this to your insurance company and adjuster, as they should be taken into account when determining what you should be reimbursed for.