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When You Are Unhappy with Your Public Adjuster

Can you fire your public adjuster?
You're the boss. If at any time you're unhappy with your public adjuster's services, you can fire your public adjuster. You can fire a public adjuster regardless of your fee agreement and even if your claim is still open. Your public adjuster is entitled to payment for services rendered up to the time of dismissal, be prepared to pay for his time, any expert fees that he has incurred and all expenses incurred associated with the file.

Keep in mind that under the law of some states, the public adjuster you fired may be allowed to keep your file until you've paid your bill.

 

What if your public adjuster isn't answering your phone calls?
Ignoring phone calls is rude and unprofessional. Besides, your public adjuster is obligated to communicate with you and keep advised of the progress of your claim. The frequency of that communication and the form it takes will vary according to your claim.
Before you decide that your public adjuster isn't communicating adequately with you, ask yourself if your expectations are reasonable. Expecting your public adjuster to talk to you for an hour every week about your claim will cost you money if you're being billed at an hourly rate. Regular phone calls are also unnecessary if your public adjuster has no news to report. Remember, a public adjuster represents many clients simultaneously, and must allocate his or her time to keep overhead costs down without compromising work quality.

If you have information or questions for your public adjuster, it's a good idea to write a short letter and request a written response. Still no answer? Follow up with a phone call. If your public adjuster fails to respond and continues to neglect your reasonable requests for information, it could be time for you to fire him. At that point, you might also want to contact the appropriate insurance department for your state.

Don't let things go for an unreasonable period of time. The persistent refusal of a public adjuster to respond to your communications over a significant period of time suggests something is wrong. You may need another public adjuster to move forward with your matter.

 

What should you do if you think your public adjuster has overcharged you?
Review your fee agreement and the bills your public adjuster has sent you. All charges should be consistent with your agreement. If you have questions about particular charges, ask your public adjuster. Frequently, charges make more sense after a brief explanation.
If you can't resolve your questions regarding fees and charges with your public adjuster, you may want to have your bill reviewed by a public adjuster organization that will evaluate it for fairness.

Finally, nothing stops you from hiring an attorney to resolve the matter, possible through litigation.

 

What should you do if you think your public adjuster has acted unethically?
Public adjusters who have acted unethically could face a variety of fines-or from censure and suspension of his or her license. If you feel that your public adjuster has acted improperly or unethically, contact the insurance department in your state and file a complaint.

 
 


The Public Adjusters
8700 Front Beach Rd.
Panama City, FL 32407
1-(850) 832-7792 (8:00am-5:00pm CST)