The CEO of National Damage Appraisers, Justin speaks with John, whose dental practice was badly damaged after it was hit by severe lightning. In their conversation, Justin explains the ins and out of the claims process to John, and assures him that he doesn’t have to go through this alone.
Here is a transcript of their conversation.
John: My dental practice was hit by lightning and it is badly damaged. What do I do now?
Justin: There are a couple of steps you need to take if your property has been badly damaged. Here’s what you do:
Customarily people will call their insurer and file a claim. But when you’re working with National Damage Appraisers, you need to call us first. Why? The answer is simple. It helps us take control of the process from the beginning and gives us an opportunity to apply our 7-point proprietary formula that gives us the leverage and enables us to get you the maximum settlement in a minimum amount of time.
And second, if your property is mortgaged, then you will need to call your mortgage company and let them know what happened. If you feel you won’t be able to make payments at this time, then tell them now. This way, you can discuss how you can adjust your payments so that you don’t get charged extra penalties or face foreclosure.
John: Why do I need to call a property damage appraiser?
Justin: Insurance companies have their own staff damage appraisers. However, the purpose of an insurer is to close cases as quickly as possible, and with as little cost to them as possible. Though these staff adjusters may seem neutral and friendly towards you, don’t forget that they’re working for the insurance company and will work in favor of the insurer and not you.
Therefore, to make sure you get a fair appraisal, it is best to hire your own property damage appraiser, someone called a public insurance adjuster. Public adjusters work only for the claimant – which is you. So this way, you know you will get the right amount from the insurance company.
And since it was your dental practice that was damaged due to lightning, it would mean that the insurance claim would be for a sizable amount. So, you should definitely use the services of an independent property damage appraiser, like National Damage Appraisers.
John: So, what exactly does a property damage appraiser do?
Justin: There is actually quite a lot that we can do for you.
The first thing we do is inspect your property. We need to make sure we don’t miss a single detail. We do a sketch of your property, and we check the exact square footage as well as the layout of your property.
We do this to figure out the extent of the damage as well as the kind of damage that was done by the lightning strike. It will also help us figure out if your practice was already damaged before the lightning struck.
This is very important to know since the value of your claim can be seriously hurt if there has been structural damage to your practice. This kind of damage can be caused by flooding, leaks, mold or mildew, natural disasters, or even gradual erosion.
And if the structural damage proves to have taken place before the lightning strike, then the value of your claim could end up being compromised. This is where our expertise and experience come in handy to ensure you get the best value for your claim.
We will also go through your insurance claim with a fine-toothed comb to figure out whether your insurance company will cover the full amount of the loss claimed. And then we will also let you know the appropriate amount the insurer should pay.
We can also review subcontractor bids, and check if they are following regulations and codes, and add that in our appraisal report to you. That way, you know exactly how much your entire project will cost and more importantly, whether it’s being done right!
We also need to make sure that your claim is not a fraudulent one. Yes, I understand that this can be upsetting, but don’t forget the insurance company’s appraiser will be looking into this matter too. So, it’s best that we have all the proof necessary to show that your claim is genuine.
John: So, when should I hire a property damage appraiser?
Justin: As soon as you possibly can after the damage has been done. So, if your dental practice has already been struck by lightning, then you should look at hiring a property damager appraiser immediately.
You will also have to let your insurance company know that you have hired a property damage appraiser.
John: Why do I need to let my insurer know that I have hired a property damage appraiser?
Justin: You need to do this so that the insurer can also hire an appraiser if they don’t have one on their staff. Both your insurer’s appraiser and yours will then go to your dental clinic and assess the damage.
And if there is any kind of a dispute between the two appraiser’s reports, then an umpire is appointed who will take a final decision on the true value of your claim.
