Appraisal Attorney in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Have you suffered a loss on your home or business? A large loss is devastating, emotionally as well as physically. You do not have to go through this process alone. Let us collect the amount you deserve from your insurance policy through our Appraisal Legal Services. We can help you to better file your claim that day. In addition, we will evaluate, document, and create a custom and comprehensive estimate for your insurance carrier. We then use this documentation to prove your loss’s dollar value.
If we start early enough on the loss, we can also help you with the process of procuring temporary housing or setting up a temporary business location nearby to retain business continuity during the repair period, if your policy provides such coverages.
All of our work product will lighten your burden of proof so that your insurance claim will not only be covered easier but will immediately put you on the road to a better settlement.
Appraisal Is a Condition of Many Insurance Policies
Appraisal is a method of settling insurance claims which some insurance policies include. When you or your insurance company demands appraisal, contact us to find out how we are able to walk you through the process. Both the insured and the insurance company hire a competent appraiser. The two appraisers will meet at the loss location and review the loss. They will find out the details of the loss that are in dispute. Then the two appraisers will estimate the losses from their own point of view and should be able to discuss the loss details of the claim and negotiate a settlement.
If the Appraisers Are Not Able to Settle the Claim
When appraisers are hired and are unable to find common ground to settle the claim they come to a standstill and the claim is still not settled. When a claim reaches this point, an umpire is decided on and hired. The umpire will meet with the two appraisers and move to conclude or otherwise force a settlement. An umpire will choose where the claim’s dollar value will settle. The claim’s direction and final settlement rests in the hands of the umpire alone. Choosing the right umpire is very important to your claim.
If part of the process, it may be that an umpire’s decision is made final, the appraisal award set, and the insurance carrier will pay that amount to the insured. The insurance claim is settled and made final.
The Cost of Certified Appraisers and Umpire Services
The cost for this process is typically a percentage of the award to the appraiser. Umpire fees, however, are generally divided between the insurance carrier and the insured. Umpire fees are difficult to gauge as they range greatly from claim to claim.
How Long Will This Process Take?
The answer to the question of how long will the settlement process take is varied. For example, Appraisals in an officially declared disaster zone may take much longer due to the vast amount of claims to settle. Whereas, a single isolated claim may go much faster.
This process will typically take months to get appraisers together, process the information about the claim then actually receive the check from the insurance carrier. The appraisal process is usually faster than a law suit which could be a number of years.
Who Needs Ajduster Legal Services
From business owners to home owners anyone can benefit by calling a Public Adjuster. An individual or firm who advises and assists the policyholder throughout the property claim is the job of a Public Adjuster. A full-service Public Adjuster will advise you of your rights and coverages even when you may not have a covered loss. Our team will advise on your duties under your policy, document the damages, the available coverages, evaluate the entirety of the situation, and then if applicable an estimate and present your loss to your carrier. One of the many roles of a Public Adjuster is to relieve the burden of the policy claim until you get your money.
You have the right to professional representation under the insurance laws of your state and the provisions within your policy. Never let your insurance company pressure you into a decision without consulting a reputable professional. Make sure a public adjuster creates an estimate for your damages. Every claim is different, therefore, the dollar values are different for every client’s claim.
If there is an eventual litigation, your basis for an expert has been started and may be part of the settlement discussions with the court at a conference to settle or as a witness for a trial.
The Scope of Losses and Things to Do
Losses are not planned. Losses, especially catastrophic losses, effect people fast and unexpected. Losses immediately change daily plans. For example, people that went to work for the day, come home to find they cannot sleep in their house any longer. Or even worse, awake in the middle of the night to a loss. They have to find a new place to sleep the next night as they will not rest this night. Fire, Wind, or Water damage may happen so quickly.
The risk is that the distress, emotions, and the burden of a loss can put anyone in a state of mind which could possibly result in making bad decisions. We have experience on the next steps after a loss. We can report the claim, speak and respond to the insurance company for you freeing up time to clear up other matters. Other matters like family and all that goes with it, calming down and taking care of each other.
There Are a Few Things to Do Before Ever Suffering a Loss.
As horrifying this all sounds, it happens every day. Before this happens, there are a few things to do to prepare and lighten the overwhelming burden once a loss occurs. As devastating as losses are, knowledge, can actually make a catastrophic loss a little bit easier. Having been there and watching insureds cry over a pile of ashes that were once considered personal treasures or stored items, we can tell you, no one can ever think of each item contained in the pile.
What Should You Do
1. If you can, take a video. Every book, knick-knack and full drawer are items that may not seem significant, but after a loss when these items are accounted for, they all add up. These items add up to money to you. These items represent your hard work that you have spent out of your pay and mean something to you. If they didn’t you would have ejected them from your home, previously.
2. Create an accurate accounting of your inventory before a loss. This will go a long way for peace of mind and ease your burden to proof that you owned the items you are about to claim. Filing and filling out the paperwork for all of your items known as your personal contents or contents is excruciating after a loss when you do not know what you really did own.
3. Do not store combustible materials in your garage. Gas, propane and alike items can start a fire and put your family at risk.
4. If you leave your home unattended for a long time, have someone check in and inspect it once a week.