What If I Disagree With the Adjuster on My Property Insurance Claim?

If you have had to make a claim with your homeowners insurance carrier for damaged property, then you likely understand that insurance carriers can put up roadblocks when it comes to paying out compensation. In particular, insurance claims adjusters will look for just about any reason they can to lower the value of your claim. Here, we want to discuss what you can do if you disagree with the claims adjuster and their assessment of the value of your property damage.

What Should I Do?

There are various steps that you can take to help ensure that your rights are upheld during the insurance claims process. If you disagree with what an adjuster has said about your property claim, some of the steps that you can take include the following:

1. Understanding your coverage. Often, disputes come down to what is actually covered in an insurance claim. It is important to understand your policy completely before you begin the dispute process. Make sure you read the fine print on the insurance policy to ensure that you did not miss anything that could have lowered your claim.
2. Reviewing the claim. You need to review your claim thoroughly after you have gone through your policy. You need to ask for a review of the insurance claim from the insurance company, and you need to get them to provide details on how they reached a specific settlement figure. Keep track of any documents sent by the insurance company as well as conversations that you have with the claims adjuster or the insurance carrier.
3. Disputing the decision. When you approach an official dispute with your insurance carrier, you need to do so politely. First, you will want to write a letter to the independent claims adjuster explaining why you believe that the settlement amount is not enough compared to what you calculated. Even if you are frustrated or upset, do not let these emotions spill over to your communication with the claims adjuster or the insurance carrier. You will likely hear back from the claims adjuster within a few weeks.
4. Requesting an on-site inspection. If you have spoken to the claims adjuster or the insurance carrier after you disputed their decision and are still not happy with their decision, you may need to request an on-site inspection. This will be a good way to show the damage and demonstrate why it is more significant than what the insurance adjuster’s claims said.
5. Complaint. After you have gone through all of these steps, you may need to work with a skilled insurance dispute attorney who can help you go through the entire complaint process. This may include filing a lawsuit against the insurance company in order to recover the compensation you are entitled to.

Importance of Hiring an Attorney to Dispute a Property Insurance Claim Denial

The best time to speak to a skilled San Diego homeowner insurance dispute attorney is as early as possible in the process. As soon as you think that the insurance carrier may give you trouble, an attorney can get involved and make sure that every step is completed properly. For example, an attorney can take over all communication with the insurance claims adjuster and the insurance carrier. Importantly, an insurance attorney will have extensive experience reviewing insurance policy documents and can conduct an independent inspection and gather all of the evidence needed to show the value of the damage claim.