PublicAdjusterNetwork

Insurance Hints
1. Report a claim quickly, and don't fix or clean up the damage until you contact the company. Save police reports, receipts for major items and
living expenses, and anything else that supports your claim.
2. Ask about deadlines--yours and the companies--and heed the statute of limitations. In many states you can't sue an insurance company more
than one year after a claim is filed.
3. Document all phone calls and letters (certified receipts always help). "Get in writing from the company why they are denying the claim,"
says Dwayne Hall of the Public Adjuster Network. "Once they've told you the reason, they can't come up with a new reason."
4. Do research to build your case. If you and the company disagree on your cars value, for example, check a used car pricing guide (like the
Kelley Blue Book) or call some dealers and report your findings to the adjuster.
5. Hire your own contractor or adjuster if you think the company's estimate is too low. While the contractor's estimate can help when the
dispute is over the cost of repairs, an adjuster can help you submit and document claims and be your advocate when you and your insurer disagree
over what your policy covers. (Get a referral for an adjuster through the Public Adjusters Network).
6. Hire a lawyer to assist you if your asked to give a statement under oath. People go it alone because they know they're not guilty
and want to cooperate, but many unwittingly say something that ends up hurting their case.
7. Avoid signing anything that releases the insurance company from further obligation. For example, it might take months
before you realize that an earthquake has damaged your house's foundation.
8.Sue an insurer only as a last resort. Unless you have a bad-faith case--in which you could get your legal expenses paid and possibly
receive punitive damages in addition to the amount of your claim--your costs will probably leave you in the red even if you win. So before you go this
route, contact your states insurance department for assistance. If your dispute involves just a few thousand dollars, try small-claims court.