How to deal with insurance adjusters

Two weeks ago, as you read

this column, we had high winds and tornado warnings through our area and as a

result, we experienced one collapsed building and three damaged vehicles , one

of which was totaled. As you might imagine, I have been on the phone a lot ever

since with my insurance agents (two companies involved) and trying to get

resolution to the claims. So far, I’m a bit frustrated since neither company

has yet sent an adjuster to bring restitution for the damages despite daily

phone calls and promises that those calls will be returned in 24 hours or less.

 

Have you noticed as I have

that the monthly premiums must be sent on time “or else” but the claims

resolution process works on a different time schedule? I don’t

think they really want me to fill out the customer satisfaction survey e–mail

they just sent me a couple hours ago.

 

So what is a guy to do and

how should I respond to the adjuster when he finally does show up? As I was

pondering that this morning, I was reminded of the most successful insurance

adjuster encounter I ever had and that’s what I want to share with you here.

 

It was in the fall of 1996, a

year after hurricane Fran washed away a vacation/investment beach house

property we had in Kure Beach, NC. The storm was ferocious and destroyed about

a third of the homes on that little island just south of Wilmington. Several of

the insurance companies were dragging their feet on offering settlements

including mine. Finally, after more than a year, my agent called and said the

company had an adjuster in town and that I should meet with him personally.

With a boatload of anxiety in my gut I gathered my files, my wife and my 16

year old son who I encouraged to accompany me because, as I told him,  “You never have enough experience in

dealing with insurance adjusters”.

 

The adjuster was a contract

employee for the insurer and was a “storm chaser”; that means that all he did

was travel from one storm ravaged city to another resolving claims. We met in

his motel room which was his temporary office and as soon as we entered the

room you could tell we were in adversarial territory: he wanted to save his

company as much money as he could and we wanted to get as much as we could.

 

I will never forget the next

hour or two we spent with him. He was glad that my wife had brought photos with

her because he had never seen the house before or after the storm. His computer

program required that we “walk through the house” room by room and enter

detailed damage descriptions. The first floor was easy since it was totally

wiped out with the concrete slab broken up like peanut brittle. On to the

upstairs. When we finally got to the living room, the adjuster asked my wife

about the furniture. She said to him “I was able to save the sofa cushion

covers by taking them home and washing them so we don’t need to replace them”.

The adjuster almost broke his keyboard as he turned to my wife and said “Lady, I

can’t give you half a sofa”. So, in went a totally new sofa and from that point

on, he went from being an adversary, withholding as much money as he could, to

being an advocate, trying to give us as much money as was possible under the

terms of the policy. The settlement was generously fair.

 

Once again, the words “The

truth will set you free” proved absolutely priceless!

 

I trust that I’ll remember

what I’m writing here when I finally get to meet with my adjuster!

 

See you next week!

 

Bill

Milby, CSA, is a Certified Senior Advisor and a Director of Visiting Angels® of

Macon, a non-medical, living assistance service for seniors.  If you have questions or comments about

this column you can reach him at william.mercylink@gmail.comor  search for  us at www.facebook.com/VisitingAngelsMacon.

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