Why You Should Hire A Commercial Public Adjuster For Your Business Loss

Running a business is hard enough in itself, so any additional challenges you may face can be too much to bear. The worst thing you can experience as a business owner is any form of property damage that occurred due to an unforeseeable event.

To make matters worse, these occurrences can also be quite costly and cause a significant dent in your bottom line. 

This is why many businesses file commercial property claims to recover some of the damages.

However, commercial claims are typyically quite complex. While the insurance adjuster sent to your property by the insurance company seems like they might be able to help you, they’re actually looking out for the insurance company’s best interests. In other words, their goal is usually to get you to settle quickly.

The best way to ensure you’re treated fairly by your insurer is to hire a commercial public adjuster. Here’s how they can help you navigate your claim from the beginning to the end.

1. Handling Your Claim

Businesses usually have insurance policies that contain multiple endorsements structured around their needs. When compared to an average homeowners insurance policy, commercial policies are typically on a whole new level of complexity.

This is why you should hire a commercial public even before you file the claim.

Most business owners are simply unfamiliar with the fine print of their policies and can’t spot coverage issues that may lead to their claim getting denied or undervalued. 

But with a commercial public adjuster, you’re getting a partner with experience who can spot problems early and avoid them before they completely derail your claim.

2. Leveling The Playing field

Once you file a claim, an insurance company will appoint an adjuster to your case. This individual will also inspect your commercial property for damage.

As we mentioned previously, these adjusters are hired by the insurance company, and are rarely impartial. They’ll do everything in their power to get you to accept the initial offer, even if you are entitled to more money under your insurance policy.

A commercial public adjuster helps level the playing field and stops the insurance adjuster from taking advantage of you in times of high stress.

3. Helping You During The Investigation

When the insurance adjuster inspects your property, they’ll fish for information and ask you many questions. Naturally, some of these will be designed to reveal damage or coverage issues.

The problem is that the average business owner isn’t aware that these questions can jeopardize your insurance claim. To make matters worse, you can’t avoid these questions or refuse to answer them - you have to cooperate with the insurance company.

The solution is to have a commercial public adjuster present who can inform and prepare you for the investigation. Additionally, they may also conduct an independent investigation that may reveal potential issues ahead of time.

4. Saving You Time

As a business owner, you’re well aware that you can’t do everything on your own. You need a full team to handle the day-to-day operations. This isn’t to say you’re not an expert, but you may simply not have enough time to do everything necessary up to standard.

The same can be said about your commercial property insurance claim. While you might be able to do the paperwork yourself, and deal with the insurance company, it’s going to put significant stress on your life and drain you of valuable time.

But by hiring a commercial public adjuster, your claim is taken care of, and you can focus your full attention on your business.

5. Giving You Expert Advice

Signing up with a commercial public adjuster means you can make the best choices for your claim and circumvent any potential issues that may arise. 

Here’s just one example:

Commercial losses are usually not total losses. While it’s typically impossible to sell damaged inventory, you might still recover some damages. For instance, inventory might have a salvage value.

Without a commercial public adjuster, you wouldn’t have the foresight to keep the damaged items as a trade-off for a reduced payment. 

6. Maximizing Your Settlement

As we previously discussed, many business owners will simply take what they can get, even if it’s a lowball offer. The reality is that you don’t need to accept that first settlement, as the total amount is up to negotiation. 

However, even if you’re aware of this fact, chances are that no matter how much you prepare, the insurance adjuster will try all the tricks in the book to get you to accept the initial offer.

The solution is to have a commercial public adjuster negotiate on your behalf. These experts are familiar with all the tactics insurance companies use to minimize your claim, as such, they can help you receive the money that you’re legally entitled to as per your insurance policy.

More importantly, a commercial public adjuster can also help you dispute Actual Cash Value. This is a common method of paying out some claims which also include a depreciation deduction. The value is achieved by using complex depreciation tables and software that calculates the average life expectancy.

In other words, if the insurer calculates that your property doesn’t fit into the average category, they’ll offer an unreasonable settlement.

Your public adjuster can help you avoid this by finding proper documentation which they can use to successfully dispute a lowball offer.

Hire The Best Commercial Public Adjuster In Florida

Handling your valuable commercial insurance claim alone is a recipe for disaster. There is a high probability of overlooking an issue or accidentally saying something wrong to the adjuster inspecting your property.

All of these can lead to an undervalued claim that simply won’t be enough to cover all damages.

This is exactly why you need to hire the most experienced commercial public adjuster available as your guide and ally in the process.

If you’re in Florida, you can’t go wrong with Continental Public Adjusters.

We’ve handled many high-level claims and successfully negotiated favorable settlements for many of our commercial clients. We have decades of combined experience, and an unmatched depth of knowledge about the ins and outs of all commercial claims.

Call (800) 989-4769 to schedule a consultation so we can discuss the plan of action as soon as possible.