If you are dealing with major property damage, the last thing you need is to have problems with your insurance claim. You need to focus on getting your family to safety and keeping them safe. Then you must determine what was lost, what was damaged, see to a cleanup and restoration service, and hire a contractor to do the repairs and rebuilding as necessary. While all this is happening, you must file a claim with your insurance provider and start dealing with someone that is not as invested in what is happening to you and your family as you are. Maybe what you need at this point is a public adjuster.What to Do Before the Public Adjuster Shows UpDon’t Throw Anything AwayBefore the public adjuster shows up, make sure not to throw away any damaged or destroyed property. They must have an opportunity to check everything out. Also. It’s important not to appear to your insurance company as though you are trying to hide something. And not having the item will make your public adjuster’s job even harder.Protect Your Property

Failure of asphalt shingles allowing roof leakage; image by Dale Mahalko, CC BY-SA 3.0, via wikimedia.org, no changes.

Your insurance policy calls for you to protect your property as much as possible. It doesn’t mean that everything should be fixed up but you should aim to prevent further damage whenever possible. Tarp the hole in your roof, dry out whatever got wet and take any preventive action possible to avoid further damage.Why is it a good idea to hire a public adjuster?If you have never worked with a public adjuster, you should know that:

• Public adjusters work for you, the property owner. They do not work for the insurance company.

• Public adjusters will charge you a much lower fee than a lawyer. While adjusters generally charge between 10 and 20 percent, a lawyer’s fee can go up to 50%.

• Most public adjusters are either independent professionals or work for a small company. This is why they are able to offer you a much more personalized service.

• They have both knowledge of the law and of the terms of most insurance policies.

What can a public adjuster do for you?The knowledge and expertise that public adjusters have when it comes to dealing with insurance policies becomes invaluable when you are dealing with a loss in your property. They understand the minute details and language of insurance policies and know all about filing and adjusting claims.Many have prior experience in the construction industry or another related field which helps them when they perform an evaluation of your loss. They will guide you when you have to file and submit both an initial and a supplemental claim with your insurance company.As a homeowner, trying to deal with the loss while attempting to complete and submit a claim can be quite overwhelming. By doing it under such stressful conditions you risk not being able to complete the forms accurately and with as much detail as a public adjuster would be able to do.As indicated on hopepublicadjusters.com, your public adjuster will also be able to help you negotiate with both contractors and your insurance company. Don’t let your inexperience lead you to commit any mistakes when a public adjuster can do it right the first time.