Home and business owners generally wonder where exactly does the insurance claims process begins and exactly how can they find a resolution to the damage that has occurred.
Property insurance claims and the insurance claim process can be quite intimidating. And that is precisely where the help of a public loss assessor comes into play.
A public loss assessor acts for you, prepares your claim and deals with the insurer, so you are not left to handle it alone.
There are two ways to handle your insurance claim following a loss:
1. You can deal with the insurance company yourself:
- You submit your claim.
After loss or damage that has occurred to your property, it’s essential to contact your insurer as soon as practically possible. Your insurer will set up a claim and allocate a loss adjuster to handle the interests of the insurance company. - The loss adjuster visits your home/business to investigate the claim.
At this inspection, they’ll scrutinise policy conditions and wordings to form their opinion on the cover and ascertain any exclusions/limitations that may apply to your policy.
The adjuster will review the loss, or with more straightforward claims, images and videos are used to review virtually. This information gathered at this inspection is generally used to calculate your claim settlement offer. - Your insurer approves or denies the claim, and comes up with the settlement offer.
After inspection, the insurer either agrees or denies the claim. They then come up with their settlement figure based on your submitted quotes and their interpretation of the scope of the loss. - You close your claim.
After all of the repairs are complete, and all compensation received, the claim is officially closed.
2. You appoint a public loss assessor to handle the claim on your behalf and protect your interests
- During on-site inspections, the loss assessor will take all measurements of the areas affected.
- He may also use specialist equipment to locate the source of the damage that has been caused by the incident.
- With the development of technological equipment, it has enabled the loss assessor to enhance the detail of the claims and to include that detail in the report to the insurer and document the findings for presentation to the loss adjuster.
- After the survey, a report is created by the loss assessor. The loss assessor gives the loss adjusters all the essential information and presents your case in full, so the loss adjuster’s estimate can be checked against a complete record of the damage.
- The role of the loss assessor is to work exclusively for you, the claimant: preparing and presenting your claim, dealing with the insurer and its loss adjuster, and keeping the claim moving. Instead of dealing with the insurance company yourself, you have one person managing the claim from start to finish.
My insurance company has appointed a loss adjuster, why would I appoint an independent loss assessor, are they not the same?
- A public loss assessor is similar to an insurance loss adjuster – with one significant difference, a loss assessor is hired by the insured/policyholder and acts for you, not for your insurance company.
- Public loss assessors have long experience of analysing insurance policies and inspecting property damage, with the aim of setting out the work needed to restore or repair the damaged property.
- When using a Public loss assessor for a property damage claim, it is advantageous to have the Public loss assessor present at the first inspection with the insurance company’s adjuster. Having the assessor present can help the inspection cover everything in one visit.
What does the Public Loss Assessor do during the survey inspection?
When the loss assessor visits your property, you should expect them to follow a set of prescribed guidelines, as set out below;
Carry out a detailed survey of the damaged building, its fixtures and fittings, and contents.
The assessor is doing this to establish the extent of the loss that has occurred. The benefits of modern-day technology enable the assessor to have a full view of the area and to use devices to take photos and document the loss.- Damaged or Destroyed items- The loss assessor will seek a list of all of the things that have been damaged, and it’s extremely important for you to ensure that you don’t throw away any of the damaged goods and to keep receipts of the purchases of the goods. By doing this, it enables the assessor to build a more detailed case for the insurance company presentation.
- Check for Structural damage, the loss assessor, if he/she is a Building Surveyor, will check if the structure has been affected. The loss assessor will take an overall inspection of the construction methods of the building to gain more knowledge, and help detail the claim.
- The loss assessor will then prepare, compile, and formulate the cost schedules, present them to your insurance company, and negotiate the settlement with them on your behalf.
- If you would like someone to handle your claim with you, appointing a regulated public loss assessor is an option.
Our team can take on the day-to-day work and walk you through each step of the process.
WHAT WE DO
Property Damage Claims
Insurance Claim Solutions provide public loss assessor services and insurance claim help to both home and business owners in county Dublin and other parts of Ireland.
We also review policy cover so you can check you are not underinsured, and we work alongside insurance brokers who want dependable claim management services for their clients.