Tag Archives: Home insurance

Mistakes To Avoid When Filing an Insurance Claim

March 17, 2023 By in General Home Issues, Home Owner Insurance Issues, Property Insurance Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

 

James H. Bushart, Public Adjuster LLC

 

Insurance claims for property damage can be a complicated process and avoiding mistakes can be a challenge. It requires proper documentation and timely submission of relevant paperwork. Any mistake in filing the claim could result in delayed or denied coverage, leaving the policyholder to bear the entire cost of the damage. Therefore, it is essential to understand the do’s and don’ts of filing an insurance claim for property damage and to know when to get help. In this essay, we will discuss the mistakes that policyholders should avoid when filing an insurance claim for property damage.

Failing to Document the Damage:

The first and most common mistake that policyholders make is failing to document the damage properly. It is essential to take pictures and videos of the damaged property as soon as possible after the incident occurs. This documentation will serve as evidence for the insurance company to determine the extent of the damage and the amount of coverage required. Without proper documentation, it can be challenging to prove the damage, and the insurance company may deny the claim. 

Photographs or video of the hailstones that struck the property, for example, are valuable evidence since some weather reports might report the nearest hailstorm to have been miles away on the date of loss.  Photographs of interior water damage taken before clean-up measures began help preserve evidence of fresh damage.  Proving your claim is YOUR responsibility.  Leave it up to the insurance company to prove it for you and you are likely to be disappointed in the result of their half-hearted efforts.

 

Waiting Too Long to File the Claim:

Another common mistake that policyholders make is waiting too long to file the claim. It is crucial to report the damage to the insurance company as soon as possible after the incident occurs. Most insurance policies have a specific timeframe within which the policyholder must report the damage. Failing to report the damage within this timeframe could result in a denied claim. Additionally, waiting too long to file the claim could result in delays in the claims process, which could cause further damage to the property.

Failing to Provide Accurate Information:

When filing an insurance claim for property damage, it is essential to provide accurate and detailed information about the incident. This includes the date and time of the incident, the cause of the damage, and the extent of the damage. Providing inaccurate or incomplete information could result in delays or denials of the claim. Additionally, it could result in the policyholder being accused of insurance fraud, which could result in legal consequences.

Not Reviewing the Insurance Policy:

Before filing an insurance claim for property damage, it is essential to review the insurance policy to understand the coverage and exclusions. Many policyholders make the mistake of assuming that their insurance policy covers all types of damage, only to realize later that the damage is excluded from the policy. Therefore, it is essential to review the policy and understand the coverage and exclusions before filing the claim.  Your insurance policy is a contract worth hundreds of thousands (sometimes millions) of dollars.  READ IT.

Attempting to Repair the Damage Before Filing the Claim:

Some policyholders make the mistake of attempting to repair the damage before filing the claim. It is essential to notify the insurance company before making any repairs to the property. The insurance company will likely send a claims adjuster to assess the damage and determine the amount of coverage required. Failing to notify the insurance company before making repairs could result in a denied claim, as the insurance company will not have the opportunity to assess the damage.

Failing to Mitigate Further Damage:

When property damage occurs, it is essential to take steps to mitigate further damage. This includes taking steps to prevent water damage or securing the property from further damage. Failing to take steps to mitigate further damage could result in a denied claim, as the insurance company may view the policyholder as negligent in protecting the property.

Not Understanding the Claims Process:

Filing an insurance claim for property damage can be a complicated process. It is essential to understand the claims process and follow the guidelines provided by the insurance company. Failure to understand the claims process could result in delays or denials of the claim.  If you need help with this, contact a licensed public adjuster or attorney for advice or assistance.

Not Following Up on the Claim:

After filing an insurance claim for property damage, it is essential to follow up with the insurance company regularly. This includes following up on the status of the claim and providing any additional documentation required. 

Not Seeking Assistance from Unbiased Sources:

When you find your insurance provider putting more effort into denying your claim than paying it or you feel that you are getting unfair resistance or treatment, consult a licensed public adjuster or an attorney to assist you.

The Insurance Company’s Adjuster and Your Claim

July 4, 2021 By in Property Insurance Tags: , , , 2 Comments

The insurance company adjuster and your claim

Successfully navigating through the insurance claims process can be challenging for a home or business owner who has suffered loss or damage to their property. Knowing the process and its boundaries and setting reasonable expectations will play a key role in achieving success with the minimum amount of frustration. Knowing what to expect (and what not to expect) from your insurance company’s adjuster is important.

Once an insurance carrier has been notified that a loss has occurred to the property that it insures, the insurer will assign one of its employees or an independent adjuster to investigate and gather information about the claim.

Many policyholders begin this process under the mistaken impression that the adjuster’s job is to assist the policyholder with their claim, but quickly learn that this is not true. It is the burden of the policyholder (not the insurance company’s adjuster) to prove that his loss was caused by a covered peril. The adjuster assigned to the claim is tasked to protect the rights and interests of the insurance carrier and assist the carrier in obtaining and presenting evidence of a policy’s exclusion when it exists.

While it is the burden of the policyholder to prove his loss was caused by a covered peril, it is the burden of the insurance carrier to prove that coverage is excluded under the policy. Presumably, both sides are prepared or preparing to meet their burdens of proof. How does the insurance company’s adjuster go about doing this for his employer?

First, he confirms that the damaged property is the property described in the policy and was at the location described in the policy. If you are claiming an item that you did not insure, or if the insured item was not on the insured property when it was damaged, you might not have a valid claim.

Next, he confirms that the loss occurred during the time period when the policy was in effect. If your roof was damaged by hail and the last hailstorm in your area occurred two months prior to the beginning of your coverage, his job is to discover and record that fact.

He will then determine whether the loss was caused by a peril covered by your policy. There are many causes for damage that are specifically excluded from an insurance policy.

The adjuster will then determine the extent of the ownership interest of the policyholder in the insured property and the extent of the ownership interest of others in the insured property. If the policyholder shares ownership of the property with others, how much of the damage is his loss and how much might be shared with others?

He will investigate to confirm that the policyholder did not commit fraud or material misrepresentation to procure the insurance policy. If the policyholder withheld material information in his application used to determine risk, for example, coverage under the policy may be rescinded.

The adjuster will confirm whether the premises were occupied as permitted or required by the policy. Certain policies negate coverage for loss when the property had been vacant for more than 60 days during the term of the policy.

He will also confirm that, at the time of the loss, there were no conditions that would cause suspension of the coverage.

This is the investigation that the adjuster conducts at the same time he is taking his measurements and photographs of the damage to determine the value of the loss, should it be paid. These are the purposes behind his questions as he conducts his investigation to first determine IF the insurance company will pay before determining how much money the carrier might offer.

It is imperative and required by the insurance contract that the policyholder fully cooperate with this investigation and be precise, accurate, and truthful when responding to these inquiries. Fraud and/or misrepresentation of the smallest degree can result in complete denial of the entire claim.

When the adjuster believes that there is a possibility of the existence of an exclusion to the peril that you have reported a loss from, he is likely to seek the assistance of someone the carrier can use as an expert (should you sue) to support their use of that exclusion. Therefore, the carrier will hire an engineer or other expert to look at the damage. Policyholders who disagree with the carrier’s decision regarding coverage of their claim and do not understand how and why insurance companies use experts will sometimes demand on their own that the insurer pays for an engineer to evaluate the damage that they believe should be paid. In doing so, they are unwittingly providing the carrier with ammunition to use against them instead of meeting their own burden to prove their loss – since the insurance company’s engineer is not going to be paid by the carrier to assist the policyholder to defend against them.

Understand the process, be fully prepared to prove that your loss or damage was caused by a covered peril when you file your claim and seek the advice of an attorney or public adjuster if you are not fully confident in handling the claim on your own or at the first sign of trouble with your insurance carrier.

 

What Is Your Burden of Proof When Filing an Insurance Claim?

July 2, 2021 By in Property Insurance Tags: , , , , 2 Comments

 

Burden of proof with insurance claim

 

      Filing an insurance claim can be much more complicated than it first appears.  To some who have never filed a claim before, there is the assumption that all they must do is notify their insurance carrier of their loss and wait to be paid.  They are unaware that the burden to prove that covered property has been damaged or lost due to a covered peril rests entirely upon them.  Many mistakenly believe that they are entitled to be paid unless the insurance carrier can prove otherwise, which usually results in frustration and misunderstanding.

     Before deciding to file an insurance claim, a policyholder should understand two important points:

     1. It is always the burden of the policyholder to prove that a covered peril caused damage to their covered property.

     2. It is always the burden of the insurance provider to prove that an excluded peril caused the loss.

     Often (actually, too often) a policyholder will note a symptom of damage – such as a leak in the ceiling – and file an insurance claim for damage to their roof.  Without knowing the cause of the leak or whether that cause was due to a peril covered under their policy, they will ask their insurance carrier to send out an adjuster to pay their claim.

     The insurance company’s adjuster, whose duty is to protect the interests of the insurance company he works for, does NOT have the duty to prove that a covered peril caused the loss.  Instead, he is there to collect information and evidence to support (if necessary) his burden to prove that an excluded peril caused the loss if, indeed, it did.  When he is uncertain about his observations and the possibility of an exclusion under the policy to apply to the loss, he may seek the assistance of a third party (such as an engineer, architect, or consultant) to assist him.

     After his investigation, unlike the typical policyholder who has not prepared his case to prove that a covered peril caused damage to their covered property, the insurance carrier is fully prepared to argue against coverage with any proof that an excluded peril caused the loss that the adjuster may have found.

     Thus – knowing that they must first prove that their covered property was damaged by a covered peril – the prudent policyholder will investigate their own claim BEFORE inviting the carrier to begin their investigation of it.  This is what I usually recommend:

     1. Know, as best as you can, exactly what is damaged and what caused it.  If you are unable to determine this on your own, seek the advice of a trusted professional skilled in the material(s) that is damaged.  If your roof is leaking, for example, have a roofer find the source of the leak and the cause of that source.

     2. Collect physical and/or photographic evidence of the damage and proof of its origin.  Obtain a bid from a trusted contractor for the cost to restore the damage to its condition prior to the loss. (Avoid allowing your contractor to negotiate directly with the carrier.  A contractor’s lack of knowledge of your coverage and his interest in profiting from the work provides the adjuster with ease in exploiting and manipulating him.)

     3. Learn if that damage is covered under your policy.  Read your policy, speak to your agent, or consult with your attorney or public adjuster for assistance if you are confused about your policy’s language.  Sometimes, it’s tricky.

     4. Provide copies of your evidence to the insurance company when you file the claim or, if more convenient when the adjuster visits to inspect the property.  (If you are not confident or comfortable in doing this, hire a public adjuster to represent you with this process.)

     5. If your insurance carrier does not cooperate with you after providing proof of your loss and coverage, seek the assistance of an attorney or a public adjuster.

 

 

Fighting the Good Fight

May 5, 2021 By in Home Owner Insurance Issues, Property Insurance Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment
Fighting the good fight

Photo by Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels.com

 

     I recently read a touching and inspiring tribute written by an attorney who advocates for policyholders and who had recently lost a valuable partner and fellow advocate to cancer.  Together, they would fight the good fight. There are not enough fighters like them in this arena, and in his tribute to his partner, he described her drive and enthusiasm for battling with insurance companies on behalf of their clients.

     Being one who shares in the same fight (though not at such grand of a scale), I felt a great sense of personal loss.  Even though I did not know her, personally, I know her heart and I have shared similar pain with the clients who had purchased insurance for peace of mind but found, when disaster came to their door, that this peace was only a temporary illusion.

     Though Missouri law tasks an insurance company to provide prompt and fair assistance to its policyholders in exchange for payment of premiums, minimizing risk, and filing a claim only upon sustaining damage – some insurance companies, to protect their own financial interest, inflict more stress and financial harm upon their policyholders than the destructive event that prompted their claim, and at a time when the policyholder is most vulnerable with the least financial reserve.  Instead of providing the warm professional care and assistance projected by their televised mascots, the policyholder is frequently met with fierce opposition and obstruction intended to exasperate, wear down, and break the resolve of the most committed policyholder defending his own rights under the very insurance policy he bought for “peace of mind”.

     Fighting through a barrage of tactics used by insurance companies to delay, deny, and defend against the policyholder is certainly not an enjoyable experience for either the policyholder or his advocate.  It is, however, something that must be done in order to receive a dollar-for-dollar payment for the incurred loss.  That is the reality that is not shown on friendly and warm television commercials.

     We lost a fighter.  Who will take her place?

 

 

 

 

 

Shareholders or Policyholders? Who matters most?

April 28, 2021 By in General Home Issues, Health and Safety, Home Owner Insurance Issues, Property Insurance Tags: , , , , , , 4 Comments

Photo by Polina Tankilevitch on Pexels.com

     

Shareholders or policyholders.  Who matters most?  Take this quiz:

The Board of Directors of my insurance company has a lawful duty to protect:

a.  the financial interests of the policyholders.

b. the financial interest of the stockholders.

c.  both of the above.

d.  none of the above.

The answer is (b).  The Board of Directors of an insurance company’s first (or fiduciary) duty is to the shareholders that elected them. 

This means that the financial interests of the shareholders come before those of the insured policyholder when that corporation is an insurance provider.  Profits come to a business from paying out less than what they take in.  Shareholders demand this in return for their investment.  Insurance companies comply.   Know this as you shop. 

The National Law Review has published a list of the “eleven worst insurance companies” and I encourage you to read it.  Before you take too much comfort in finding that your home insurance provider did not make the list, you should consider that many that made the list are providers of health insurance.  The factors that were used for the home and business insurers that made the list, however, are not unique to them but are commonly shared among smaller companies that would have at least made “dishonorable mention” if the list did not include other types of insurers.

     What this list should teach those of us who buy insurance is the need for us to carefully select an insurance provider based on something other than cute or funny television commercials.  Sweet talking lizards that collect your insurance premium can quickly become vicious and vexatious crocodiles defending the company against your valid claim.  If you can learn this before you become vulnerable as a result of catastrophic loss, the better off you will be.     

The Missouri Department of Insurance publishes a complaint index to help Missouri consumers determine how likely they may find displeasure with an insurance company’s claim handling process.  Considering how few unsatisfied policyholders will actually go through the red tape to file a complaint with the State government , when an insurance company exceeds the normal rate of complaints under such circumstances – it really says something.

Caveat emptor.

Why Missouri Contractors Cannot Negotiate Your Insurance Claim.

April 18, 2021 By in Home Owner Insurance Issues, Home Repairs, Property Insurance Tags: , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

missouri contractors cannot represent your claim

Missouri contractors cannot negotiate your insurance claim on your behalf with your insurance company.  On August 28, 2011, the Governor of Missouri signed into law Senate Bill 101 which prohibits home exterior contractors from representing a policyholder or negotiating on their behalf with their insurance company for exterior work on their home as a part of an insurance claim.

Here is a link to the law:   It is very clear.  

So why do insurance companies continue to negotiate with residential contractors in spite of this law?  Perhaps it is because, when they do, they can get away with underpaying your claim.

An insurance adjuster can say things to your contractor that he cannot say to you, your Missouri attorney or your Missouri licensed public adjuster because, unlike you (and those who lawfully represent you), the contractor is not a party to the agreement (the policy) between you and the insurance company. 

Insurance adjusters will often withhold certain information from the contractor, misrepresent or not fully disclose your coverage to the contractor, and say things to your contractor such as “We are not paying that much for that building material … Your estimate is too high for labor and you need to revise that … We are not going to pay more than such and such dollars for this claim … We won’t pay your overhead and profit” … and so forth because they are not communicating with you or anyone lawfully representing you.

It would be an act of bad faith, and perhaps a vexatious act carrying severe penalties, for the adjuster to say such things to you or to your lawful representative.  Why?  Because certain communications and actions between insurance companies, their policyholders, and their lawful representatives are regulated by the Missouri Department of Insurance. Such regulations, however, do not necessarily extend to their relationships with contractors and other vendors.  In their opinion, your contractor is representing his own interests and not yours. 

For example, when an insurance adjuster makes a statement of fact regarding your coverage to you or your lawful representative, he must respond with supporting language from your policy upon demand.  Not so, however, when the same demand is made by your contractor.  Since the contractor is not a party to the agreement or lawfully representing anyone who is, he is not entitled to know all of the important information the policy contains.  Withholding this information about your specific coverage from your contractor puts him in the dark and the insurance company’s adjuster in complete control. 

Some contractors mistakenly believe that since they have worked with certain insurance companies or adjusters in the past, all policyholders with that company have the same or similar coverage – which is not true.  Three or four neighbors living side by side on the same street can be insured by the same insurance carrier and have different policies with different coverage. Some contractors quote what they believe to be “state law” as to what an insurance company must pay for which is also not true.  In Missouri, state laws do not govern or control all of the information contained in an insurance policy, and policy interpretation disputes are settled in civil court and are generally not legislated.

I hold skilled and experienced exterior contractors in very high regard. They are important advisors for you and/or your lawful representatives in settling a claim.  Their skillful and experienced input in determining the full scope of the damage and what they charge for restoration of that damage is helpful, often vital, in settling your claim.  It is when they extend beyond their valuable construction skills and expertise and go beyond the “low hanging fruit” that the adjuster would pay anyway and (as some contractors advertise) “push” the adjuster toward a larger settlement, complete documentation, communicate with the carrier on your behalf and settle your claim, those and similar actions may not be in accord with the law and their results may not produce all of the money that you are entitled to.

Most damaging is the harm some do to your claim before you finally bring in qualified and lawful representatives, such as your attorney or licensed public adjuster, to assist you.  While their lack of ability to correctly interpret your coverage or communicate your rights under the policy may have limited their ability to help you fully resolve your claim, what they communicated to the insurance company (correctly or incorrectly) can interfere with a fair resolution and must be identified and resolved before progress can be made.

I work with many exterior contractors and help them operate within the boundaries that are set forth in Senate Bill 101, allowing them to focus upon their areas of skill and expertise to fully serve their customers’ construction needs.  Their customers are able to recover from their insurers what they require to restore their home to its pre-damaged condition and the contractor makes what he bids for the work that is required.  When it is done correctly, all parties are served in a win-win position.  When it is done improperly, however, some or all come out on the losing end.

Not all claims require an attorney or a public adjuster to handle them.  In fact, most can be handled directly by the policyholder with no representation at all, if they understand their rights under their contract with the insurance company and have a skilled contractor they trust to correctly inform them of their damage and what must be done to restore their property to its pre-loss condition.

No one but you, your Missouri attorney, or your Missouri licensed public adjuster should be communicating with your insurance company on your behalf, and remember that a “no” from the insurance adjuster to your exterior contractor is not be the final word on your claim for damage.

 

 

 

This Blog/Web Site is made available by James H. Bushart, Public Adjuster LLC for educational purposes only as well as to give you general information and a general understanding of the work of a public adjuster, not to provide specific legal advice. The authors and/or site manager make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. By using this blog site you understand that there is no public adjuster/client relationship between you and James H. Bushart, Public Adjuster.  The Blog/Web Site should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state, nor should it be used as a substitute for competent maintenance or repair advice from a qualified contractor licensed to perform work in your state.

Engineer Speak – “Functional” v. “Cosmetic” Damage

April 18, 2021 By in Home Owner Insurance Issues, Home Repairs, Property Insurance Tags: , , , , , ,

 

Photo by Laker on Pexels.com

Here is a story about how an engineer might record the functional damage versus cosmetic damage in a fictional situation, first.

Once there was a maintenance man who worked in a famous art museum and was directed by his supervisor to touch up the white paint on the wall of a certain gallery within the museum.  As he was ascending his ladder he accidentally tipped over his gallon of white paint and it splashed across the surface of a 550-year-old painting from a world famous artist that hung in the gallery.

Of course, the painting was insured and the curator immediately filed a claim.  The insurance adjuster took a few photos and shared them with his boss who said “We need to send out an engineer.“

The engineer arrived to examine the painting and noted that the framed canvas was designed and intended to hold paint of various colors.  Since the canvas and frame were still intact and obviously able to retain paint, he recorded that the painting was still “functional”.  The painted surface had white paint splashed across the smiling face of a woman named “Lisa” or something, but he reported the damage was only “cosmetic” in that it did not interfere with the “function” of the canvas to hold paint.  It was, after all, paint on a painting … and the gallery was filled with various paintings with random splashes and colors.  He concluded that there was no “functional” damage and the insurance company denied the claim.

This story is fictional, of course … but the actions described are quite common.

Let’s look at the shingles on your roof, for example.  The manufacturer of your shingles produces them in a wide variety of colors, shapes, and styles.  When you selected them (or selected a house that already had them), you noted their color and design in context with the features of the rest of the structure, didn’t you?  Of course, their designed purpose is to protect the roof from wear and water intrusion but they also were carefully and creatively designed to enhance the beauty of the home.

When a sudden Missouri storm erupts and pounds them with hail, along with the metal appurtenances, gutters, downspouts, and other surrounding materials, they will often be damaged.  When they are damaged, you might contact your insurance carrier to file a claim for direct physical damage or loss to your roofing materials.  The insurance adjuster will arrive, take a few photographs, and return to speak to his boss.  When the boss does not want to pay you for your damage, he might send an engineer.

The engineer will often look at your shingles and the surrounding metals for holes.  Finding none, he declares that the shingles and metals are still shedding water as they were designed to do, and the damage to them is not “functional” but merely “cosmetic”.  Based on this report, the manager may deny the claim, depending upon the language in your policy.

Denying the claim because of an engineer’s definitions of “functional” or “Cosmetic” damage rather than the insurance policy’s definitions of damage can be improper.  Try as some might, engineers neither write nor interpret Missouri insurance policies and, when they attempt to do so, they are often incorrect. Some insurance companies have been successfully sued for such actions when it happens, as in the case of North-Shore Co-Owner’s Association versus Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.

When you believe that your insurance carrier is trying harder to deny your claim than pay your claim, you may be the victim of improper claim handling, bad faith, or vexatious actions on the part of your carrier.  When this happens, seek the advice of your Missouri attorney or a Missouri licensed public adjuster. 

 

 

This Blog/Web Site is made available by James H. Bushart, Public Adjuster LLC for educational purposes only as well as to give you general information and a general understanding of the work of a public adjuster, not to provide specific legal advice. The authors and/or site manager make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. By using this blog site you understand that there is no public adjuster/client relationship between you and James H. Bushart, Public Adjuster LLC.  The Blog/Web Site should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state, nor should it be used as a substitute for competent maintenance or repair advice from a qualified contractor licensed to perform work in your state.

The Insurance Appraisal Clause (Simplified)

April 7, 2021 By in Property Insurance Tags: , , , , , , 1 Comment

     

Insurance appraisal clause simplified

     If you are a policyholder disputing a claim with your insurance company and you have given up the fight and are ready to lose, go ahead and invoke your right to the appraisal clause that your insurance company has written into their policy. It will be over quickly and if you are paid anything because of it, at best it will be a fictitious figure, and reached through compromise from what someone other than you “estimates” your loss to be – and with no commitment from a contractor willing to accept that amount to perform any of necessary the work.  

     The appraisers are paid their full fee.  The umpire is paid his full fee.  The policyholder, on the other hand, is left with a dollar amount resulting from a compromise that no contractor has agreed to accept to do the necessary work that that the appraisers and umpire guessed he might.

     There is a reason your insurance provider wrote this clause and chose to insert it into his contract with you.  Judging by his unwillingness to pay you up to this point, that reason is NOT because it is likely to result in a significantly higher payment to you.  

     If you are growing weary of fighting with your insurance company over a legitimate claim and you want to be fully indemnified but don’t know how to proceed to make that happen, seek the advice of either your attorney or a public adjuster licensed to practice in your state.  

     After suffering a direct physical loss to your home or commercial building, the last thing you need is three people with no skin in the game (none of whom will be doing the work) “guess“timating what someone else might charge you to restore it.  This should NOT be the process of determining the amount of money you are entitled to restore your home or business to its condition prior to your loss.

     Remember this important fact:  In exchange for your premium, your insurance policy directs your insurance company to pay you what it costs (not what anyone “estimates” it to cost) to restore your property to the way it was before the loss.  The appraisal process falls short toward that end and should be avoided – not sought.

     As I stated, there is a reason your insurance company wrote this into your policy, and it is obvious that the reason was NOT to pay you more money.

 

 

 

This Blog/Web Site is made available by James H. Bushart, Public Adjuster LLC for educational purposes only as well as to give you general information and a general understanding of the work of a public adjuster, not to provide specific legal advice. The authors and/or site manager make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. By using this blog site you understand that there is no public adjuster/client relationship between you and James H. Bushart, Public Adjuster LLC.  The Blog/Web Site should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state, nor should it be used as a substitute for competent maintenance or repair advice from a qualified contractor licensed to perform work in your state.

Who Can Represent You With Your Hail/Wind Damage Claim

July 2, 2019 By in Home Owner Insurance Issues, Property Insurance Tags: , , , , ,

Your contractor will prove to be a valuable resource to you as you present your insurance claim to your adjuster.  Without his skill and expertise, you will have a difficult time communicating all that has been damaged and the work that will be necessary to restore your home to its original condition.  

You might have read the Missouri law that states that a roofing contractor cannot represent you with your insurance claim when communicating with your insurance company about the condition of your roof. Your insurance company’s adjuster certainly has.

Specifically, it reads in part “A contractor shall not represent or negotiate, or offer or advertise to represent or negotiate, on behalf of an owner or possessor of real estate on any insurance claim in connection with the repair or replacement of roof systems, or the performance of any other exterior repair, replacement, construction, or reconstruction work.” [Missouri Revised Statute Title XXVI, Trade and Commerce, 407.25]

You can represent your hail damage claim by yourself or you may decide to hire an attorney or Missouri licensed public adjuster to represent you with your insurance claim. If you decide to have your roofing contractor do the talking for you, however, he represents only himself and his company’s financial interests in restoring your storm-damaged roof. Not you.

Accordingly, your insurance company’s adjuster will often disregard much of your contractor’s input as being self-serving … unless, of course, it serves the best interest of the insurance company to do otherwise. For instance, if your roofing contractor is willing to compromise and agree to the adjuster’s lower computer-generated estimate, the adjuster may then strike a deal with you based upon his agreement to work for the lesser amount. A roofing contractor’s opinions or arguments calling for more money or materials that differ from what the adjuster has already decided to pay, however, will likely be dismissed. As the governing regulations state, the contractor is not allowed to negotiate your claim.

A policyholder called me for assistance recently and told me that he had three different roofing contractors speak to his insurance company’s adjuster on his behalf, and all three told the adjuster that his roof required replacement. According to him – and to his dismay – the adjuster simply disregarded the arguments from all three of them and refused to pay him to replace his roof.

Of course, the policyholder was convinced that the adjuster was acting improperly and being unfair. He believed that his insurance company had a duty to accept these arguments, particularly since they came from three different contractors, as definitive proof of his loss, but he was wrong. What the policyholder’s three contractors actually presented to his adjuster were three different sales presentations for replacing his roof – none of which proved to the adjuster that the roof had been damaged by hail on the reported date of loss to the extent that it needed to be replaced.

Simply stated, the insurance company’s adjuster was not convinced by the three different contractors, each of whom is in business to sell new roofing systems, that the home required a new roofing system as a direct result of the claimed hail event.

Sometimes, the overall condition of the roof may indeed require that the roof be replaced. The roofing contractor is doing his job by correctly informing the homeowner of that need and is certainly able to observe and communicate that to the insurance adjuster. The adjuster might even agree with him regarding the overall condition of the roof – however, what is required in most cases, in order to recover money from the insurance carrier to pay for the replacement of the roof, is physical proof that the reported damage is the only cause for that condition. It has been my observation that this is the point where many roof claims presented by roofing contractors, prohibited by law to negotiate the claim on behalf of a homeowner, fall short under those limitations.

Your consultation with a reputable roofing contractor or roofing expert is an important step as you begin to prepare to present your claim to your insurance company. If you know what to request from your roofing contractor so that you can acquire and present proof of your loss to your insurance company, you can present that proof to your adjuster who, under the state rules that govern insurance claims, must respond to you on the record to the proof that you present. This is what your licensed public adjuster would do on your behalf, as well.

There are a select few high-end roofing companies in Missouri that are staffed with experienced professionals who have proven to be able to acquire and provide convincing evidence that I have used to turn claims that were initially denied by the insurance company into recoveries of $80,000.00 to $690,000.00 – but the collected evidence was presented to the insurance company by me.

In the absence of such proof of loss or if the adjuster is simply not accepting the sales presentation from the roofing contractor as being definitive, the policyholder will likely be unsuccessful in his attempt to obtain more than what the adjuster initially values the loss to be – whether the adjuster is correct or not.

Since the roofing contractor does not officially represent the policyholder with his claim, the adjuster has the freedom to totally disregard anything that the contractor directly presents to him. Where the insurance company’s adjuster must respond to your written requests in writing, he can reject arguments presented by your roofing contractor without justification or explanation. In certain instances, the insurance adjuster will go as far as to ignore or refuse to communicate with the roofing contractor on site since there is no requirement for him to do so.

Keep this in mind when you decide to ask your roofing contractor to present your roofing claim to your insurance company. A “no” to your roofing contractor from your insurance adjuster is not always the final word.

 

 

 

This Blog/Web Site is made available by James H. Bushart, Public Adjuster LLC for educational purposes only as well as to give you general information and a general understanding of the work of a public adjuster, not to provide specific legal advice. The authors and/or site manager make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. By using this blog site you understand that there is no public adjuster/client relationship between you and James H. Bushart, Public Adjuster LLC.  The Blog/Web Site should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state, nor should it be used as a substitute for competent maintenance or repair advice from a qualified contractor licensed to perform work in your state.

Computer Generated Estimates from Insurance Adjusters

March 15, 2019 By in Property Insurance Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

computer generated estimates

Photo by Vitezslav Vylicil on Pexels.com

 

It may come as a surprise to you to learn that the overwhelming majority of insurance adjusters, no matter which insurance company they work for, use the same computer software to generate estimates from which they pay insurance claims.  The corporation that owns and manages the software that creates the computer-generated estimate that your adjuster is using to pay your claim is called Verisk Analytics, Inc.

When you visit this page of the website for Verisk Analytics, Inc. you will see something very interesting about its managers and Board of Directors.  Most of them, including the director that bears the title of “Lead Director” are from the insurance industry and/or have professional backgrounds in the very closely associated financial investment industry.  Very few, if any, have backgrounds or practical experience in the industries or trades associated with performing the restoration work or providing the materials that are represented in these computer-generated estimates.

This could lead a reasonable person to question whether the computer-generated estimate provided by the insurance adjuster represents the financial interests of the insurance industry managing and producing it … or the interests of the policyholder who is presumably expected to have enough money to fully restore his property from the amount estimated by the software program.

Prudent policyholders, however, will carefully read their policies and discover that their payments from their insurance companies are to be based upon the actual … and not the “estimated” … cost of restoration.  They will know that they are not limited to receive only the insurance adjuster’s home-grown estimate generated by his own industry’s managed computer software program but are entitled, instead, to the amounts that it will actually cost to replace or restore the property that is destroyed or damaged.

If they don’t know this and settle for what the computer-generated estimate guesses that their payment should be, they are likely to be underpaid for their loss.

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