An Appraisal Umpire May Be Your Best Chance To Resolve An Insurance Claim Dispute
Posted by Joe Brennan | Posted in Appraisal Umpire | Posted on 02-17-2010
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Disputes, especially when it comes to settling insurance claims, are not new scenarios. In fact, they take place every day. Just what causes these disputes? Well, one of the obvious reasons is most policyholders believe that they deserve to be paid a larger settlement than what they have received. Second, many insurance companies are trying to pay as little as possible on a claim. And third, claims are sometimes denied. All of which can result in a dispute.
There are various ways to deal with your insurance loss. First, is the aggressive approach, which I do not encourage. Too much aggression will cause further delays. I also believe that everything can be settled in a peaceful and civilized manner. There are actually several peaceful options which a policyholder may undertake depending on the degree of the insurance claim dispute.
For cases where you are at an impasse with your insurance adjuster, it is advised to get the name and then the phone number of the adjusters supervisor by calling the company directly or asking the adjuster for such information. Call the supervisor and/or the consumer complaint department and advise them of your problem as they may be able to help you. You can also request a “re-inspection” by another adjuster. Request that a “General Adjuster” e-inspect you claim. A General Adjuster is one that has over 15 years experience. It’s important not to forget to get the name of the person whom you talked with in the consumer complaint department as well.
If you have a dispute about repairing a structure that has suffered a large loss, you can hire an engineer to provide an analysis report of the damages. If the result still has not satisfied you there you should file a complaint at Department Of Insurance in the state you live in.
However, if you still feel that you have not been given a satisfying solution to your insurance loss problems you can call (919) 669-9111 which is a consumer information hotline that can answer questions related to insurance loss claims that are a result of fire, water, flood, smoke, wind, hail, tornado, and hurricanes. They have trained personnel that are available to assist and answer queries relating to various property damage complaints.
Nevertheless, if you still feel that after you have applied all the above-mentioned options and you still believe you have not been provided a fair insurance settlement, you can always turn to a clause buried in your policy called APPRAISAL. The Insurance Appraisal Clause allows each party of a dispute to settle the differences out of court. It’s similar to an arbitration. (For a complete explanation of the Insurance Appraisal Clause by visiting What Is The Insurance Appraisal Clause). The process calls for an unbiased, impartial, and competent Insurance Appraisal Umpire to work with two appraisers to settle the differences. Having such an individual can go a long way for a policyholder that is requesting a fair shake. The Appraisal Umpire has no interest. In turn, they base their decision on the facts.
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(C) Joe Brennan is President and owner/operator of Insurance Claims Group, Inc., a national independent adjusting, appraisal, and umpiring firm. We will answer your claim questions FREE as part of our FREE Insurance Advice and Insurance Claim Consulting Services.
Insurance Claims Group, Inc.
Joe Brennan
Ph: 919-669-9111
Fx: 919-573-9595
info@insuranceclaimsgroup.com
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