Public Adjuster VS. Attorneys
In order to fully understand the difference between a public adjuster vs attorney one must first understand the job performed by a public adjuster and how they help their clients in ways that an attorney cant. A Public Adjuster is a licensed insurance specialist that has a fiduciary responsibility to have the best interests of the homeowner in mind. In order for a homeowner to be fully compensated its best to have a public adjuster on board who not only is an expert in policy but also has the know how to compile a repair estimate and advocate on your behalf. At the end of the day, insurance companies do not want to pay their customers the maximum amount that they deserve for their losses and they try to avoid it at all cost that is where a Lincoln Public Adjuster steps in.
There are times that an attorney is needed for example, if the Insurance carrier refuses to play ball, or insurance adjuster just doesn’t answer the phone in these cases it might make sense for an attorney to get involved. In short hiring an attorney should only be done as a last ditch effort and only when all other avenues have been exhausted.
Why you should have a public adjuster on your claim
Here are a few major differences between a public adjuster and an attorney.
1. A public adjuster is capped by law at how much they can charge for their services in the state of Florida the max you will ever pay is 20% whereas a attorney can and do charge as much as they want in some cases up to 33% of your claim.
2. Attorneys get paid based off of their billable hours meaning they are not necessarily incentivized to close out your claim as quickly as possible, however a public adjuster only gets paid when you do and will typically close out your claim a lot quicker then an attorney.
3. Attorneys are great at what they do and that is to litigate, but a public adjuster is an expert in building your insurance claim, presenting it to your insurance carrier, and ensuring you get the full payout you deserve for your claim.
4. The legal system is complicated and can be very overwhelming, suing your insurance carrier is not something you want to get involved with unless you absolutely have to and have no other recourse.
Public Adjusters VS. Company Insurance Adjusters
When you file an insurance claim for damage to your home in Florida your insurance carrier will send an adjuster to your home in order to put a value to your damage. Unfortunately, many of these adjusters are under trained especially after a major disaster like a Hurricane. Additionally the insurance adjuster sent to you by your insurance carrier is hired by your insurance and ultimately does not have your best interest in mind.
A Florida Public Adjuster on the other hand is hired by you to advocate on your behalf to recover what you are owed per your policy to fix your home.
Public adjusters are professionals and licensed in the area of property damage. These are the common types of claims that public adjusters take on:
- Smoke and fire
- Damage from hail
- Wind and hurricane damage
- Lighting
- Mold
- Plumbing leaks
- Roof damage
- Vandalism/theft
- Flood/water damage (the most common type of claim)
F.A.Q
Q.Do i need an attorney in order to recover the full amount i’m owed for my insurance claim?
A. No you do not need to hire an attorney in order to recover what you are owed from you insurance carrier. Hiring an attorney should only be done as a last resort. Typically a public adjuster can the same amount and in a much shorter time period too.