Insurance Claim FAQs

What is a property claim?

A property claim is any damage that occurs to your home or business, and is covered under your insurance policy. For example: Hurricane damage, Fire or Smoke damage, Broken or Blocked plumbing lines, Burglary or Theft, Mold, Sinkholes, etc. Typically, when damage occurs to a home or business, the homeowner or business owner would call their insurance company (much like car owners do when they get into an accident). The Insurance Company will create a claim and dispatch an adjuster to the home or business.

What is an “Adjuster”?

An “Adjuster” is the person that determines the amount of money you should receive for your property damage. There are three types of adjusters.

  1. Company Adjuster or Staff Adjuster: This adjuster works directly for the Insurance Company (like a State Farm adjuster).
  2. Independent Adjuster: This adjuster usually works for several Insurance Companies. During catastrophes, like Hurricanes, insurance companies usually do not have enough of their own personnel (staff adjusters) to handle all the work, so they use ‘Independent Adjusters’ to help out (almost like hiring sub contractors). In either case, both of these insurance adjusters represent the insurance companies that pay them, and they ALWAYS look after the insurance company’s best interests.
  3. Public Adjuster: There is a third adjuster, but this one works for the public, not for the insurance company. This Adjuster is referred to as a “Public Adjuster,” sometimes referred to as “Private Adjusters”. The Public Adjuster will file your claim, work directly with your Insurance Company’s adjuster, and ultimately see to it that you get every penny you are entitled to receive for your damages. Although there is a fee associated with hiring a Public Adjuster, you usually get much more than the insurance company would offer, plus you won’t have the hassle of dealing with the claim process. For their services, Public Adjusters receive a percentage of the money they collect on your behalf, and this percentage may vary slightly with different companies.

Is it too late to place a claim? I thought my damage was minor, now the repair costs are exceeding my deductible.

It is never too late to place a claim, as long as it is within the last 5 years. Old claims are difficult to re-open and should be left to the professionals at American Property Loss.

Will I have to pay for your services if you are unable to collect money for me?

We work off a percentage of your recovery. Therefore, if there is no recovery, there is no fee. We only collect a fee if we are able to get you insurance company to write you a check for your damages.

My claim was denied, am I entitled to a second opinion?

Yes! We have many clients that were told their claim was denied. We simply re-open the loss, negotiate with your insurance company, and insist they pay you (if you have a valid claim).

At what point, in the claims process, should I hire American Property Loss?

We strongly recommend that you call before you call your claim into your insurance company or agent. Doing so ensures that you’ll get the professional help you need immediately. However, you can enlist our services at any time (before you place your claim, during your claim negotiations, and even after your claim has been closed). Basically, it’s never too late.

Why hire us?

Let us impress you will our vast knowledge and experience. We believe in our company, but realize consumers are skeptical (as they should be). We invite you to call on our testimonials and ask real clients how they feel about American Property Loss.