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When is the right time to hire public adjuster?
The best answer is as quickly as possible and as soon as the damage occurred, allowing us to set the narrative from the very beginning and control the claim process by guiding the insured from the emergency mitigation through to recovery.
While it’s in the best interest of an insurer to hire a public adjuster from the start, it may be imperative that a public adjuster is retained after a claim has been denied or when an insurance payment is far lower than expected. There needs to be more money to complete the repairs. Other indicators that it may be time to hire a public adjuster are when there are conflicting coverage issues, such as a flood insurer claiming wind damage and a wind insurer claiming flood damage, or when there are communication issues with insurers who are not responding or providing timely information.
Or when an insured is just generally frustrated and overwhelmed with the process. We’re here to be your advocate. If you find yourself in any of these situations, please call us.
How do you choose a public adjuster?
Just like any other industry, not all public adjusters are the same. Insurance companies keep files on public adjusters and know which ones have superior documentation abilities and claim-handling practices.
Researching and getting the public adjuster you’re choosing is one of the most important decisions you will make, directly affecting the outcome of your claim. Here are some ways to help you choose the right public adjuster for you and your community.
Don’t hire a public adjuster just because they showed up first. After a massive storm or catastrophic event, public adjusters will flock out of state and may not be as knowledgeable on the state laws and statutes governing insurance.
Ensure your public adjuster has experience working in your state and belongs to a professional organization, like NAPIA, or a state association like FAPIA, which is in Florida and focuses on continuing education.
Ask how many combined years of experience in their adjusting group, the types of claims they’re used to working with, and what they did before they were a public adjuster. At Altieri, we have over 250 combined adjusting experience years. Ensure that the public adjuster is licensed by Florida or other states where the loss occurred. You’ll be shocked how many public adjusters are unlicensed or soliciting on behalf of someone else.
Ask the public adjuster how you’ll get paid and where the money comes from. The funds should go directly to the policyholder or you. First, if the public adjuster is depositing the checks into their account and then making payments to your contractor, that’s a red flag. The claim check should go directly to you and then to them.
And lastly, check Google ratings and ask for references. The best indicator of future performance is past performance.
For more ways to understand what sets us apart from other public adjusters, don’t hesitate to contact us at any time.
Why Choose Altieri Insurance Consultants?
The founder of our company, Ray Altieri Jr., was elected as the first president of the Florida Association of Public Insurance (FAPIA) Adjusters in 1993. And our very own Francis (Frank) M. Altieri is currently the treasurer of FAPIA and is on the ladder to be president in 2026. FAPIA’s mission since 1993 has been to protect the insurance of Florida and promote high ethical and professional standards for all public adjusters. Being in FAPIA’s leadership means insurance companies know who we are and understand the credibility of our work product for our clients—being active in the national and state associations.
This enables Altieri personnel to be entirely current on the ever-changing legislation affecting Florida’s consumers and the rest of the nation, giving us the knowledge and training to best advocate for our clients. Most of our adjusters work for insurance companies before coming to Altieri.
We understand the claims process inside of the insurance company. Our expert knowledge allows us to formulate our reports on how insurance companies accept information and bring a significant advantage to our clients receiving a timely and accurate claim settlement. We have built relationships with carrier personnel over decades of credible and precise claims packages.
Tampa, FL Office
400 N. Tampa Street, Ste. 1850 Tampa, FL 33602
Nashville, TN Office
700 Third Ave S. Nashville, TN, 37210
Fort Lauderdale, FL Office
6750 N Andrews Ave, Suite 200, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309
