Appraisal – In the event of a disagreement regarding the amount of your loss, an alternative method of Dispute Resolution may be necessary. This process allows for both the property owner and the insurance carrier to choose 3rd parties, called “Appraisers”, who in turn choose an umpire to serve as a tie breaker, should the two appraisers disagree regarding what should have been awarded for the claim. This process is provided for in almost every Property Insurance Policy and is a binding resolution to determine the correct amount of the loss.
Most of the disputes between property owners and their insurance carriers fall into one or more of the following categories:
- The adjuster was too rushed to look at all of the evidence
- The adjuster lacks experience and /or training in the subject matter.
- The damages are the result of more than one cause and the adjuster does not understand how to apply good settlement practices to the claim.
- The adjuster’s guidelines for adjusting are inappropriate.
Regardless of the reason, you are at a point where you believe that you have more of a claim than the insurance company agrees to and you would like to explore your options as how to proceed in the least expensive and quickest manner.