FAQs

A public adjuster advocates for the policyholder in appraising and negotiating an insurance claim. A public adjuster is the only person, other than an attorney, who can legally represent the insured during a claims process. The public adjuster will ensure that the final settlement is fair to the policyholder.

It means that the public insurance adjuster acts according to a strict code of ethics established by CAPIA and is an accredited member of the Association.

CAPIA stands for the Carolina Association of Public Insurance Adjusters. CAPIA members are experts in the profession of public insurance adjusting who have joined together for the express purpose of professional education, promoting a rigid code of professional conduct and ethics with the end goal of protecting the public through legislative change and fair outcomes for policyholders with first-party insurance claims.

Your CAPIA member public insurance adjuster relieves you of the many time-consuming and difficult obligations involved in preparing and filing a claim and helps you to receive a prompt and fair settlement. Working with your CAPIA member public insurance adjuster, you will have the advantage of expert assistance based on significant experience handling numerous policy coverage and technical issues that regularly come up in the claim process.

Sure, but it stands to reason that your CAPIA member public insurance adjuster has years of experience and training and can do so with more competence than a typical policyholder.

More specifically, a CAPIA member public insurance adjuster will assist you in the preparation of inventories, estimates, and other factual proofs of loss. A CAPIA member public insurance adjuster will handle all the necessary details for compiling and filing claims as required by the terms of your insurance policies. On your behalf, your CAPIA member public insurance adjuster will also communicate with insurance company representatives and handle all matters essential to a fair and satisfactory adjustment.

The typical fire policy contains hundreds of provisions and stipulations – various forms and endorsements that are constantly changing and many complex details about your obligations when you sustain a loss to your property. Most people do not know or understand these policy provisions – and most do not realize that the burden of proof is on them, the policyholder. Most insurance company representatives actually prefer to work with an experienced public insurance adjuster rather than an inexperienced insured.
A CAPIA member public insurance adjuster not only has your confidence, but also that of company adjusters who recognize that they are dealing with a professional.

This depends upon the type and amount of insurance you carry. It also depends on your expertise or the expertise of your representative, not that of the insurance company’s adjuster. Many insurance policies may pay more than the amount shown on the declaration page. A qualified expert working for you can determine everything to which you are entitled.

Insurance companies offer to pay what is due to you as they see it. CAPIA member public insurance adjusters are your exclusive representatives. With their experience and knowledge, they are able to focus on protecting your interests rather than concerning themselves with what an insurance carrier wants to pay on your claim.

Your CAPIA member public insurance adjuster assists with every phase of preparing and presenting your claim, as well as negotiating a fair settlement that includes everything to which you are entitled under your insurance policy.

They take a physical inventory, obtain all estimates for damages sustained as a result of your loss and make sure all provisions in your policy are properly fulfilled. This often involves numerous steps of which you may know little or nothing, but make a significant difference in the amount of the final adjustment.

Yes. Your CAPIA member public insurance adjuster must, in virtually all jurisdictions, be tested, licensed, bonded, and authorized to practice his/her profession. All state licensed public insurance adjusters are required by regulation to continue their education throughout their career. Additionally, CAPIA member public adjusters are encouraged to advance their skills, build greater knowledge and stay ahead of evolving trends by seeking specialized education and professional certifications.

Yes. They lose no time in complying with the policy requirements to obtain and evaluate the facts and prepare the claim. The alert, knowledgeable and prompt service they render often preserves evidence that may otherwise be overlooked or destroyed. The more thoroughly and completely your claim is compiled and prepared, the faster your CAPIA member public insurance adjuster can accomplish a fair and equitable settlement.

Your CAPIA member public insurance adjuster’s charge is a percentage of the insurance company’s settlement with you. By maximizing your settlement, your public insurance adjuster’s services can save you the cost of their fees, at the very least.

Consulting with a CAPIA member public insurance adjuster can point you in the right direction and help you develop a strategy to resolve any problem you have with your insurance adjuster or insurance company.

Yes. If your claim was denied, a CAPIA member public adjuster can reopen your claim and pursue an amicable resolution.

Almost always.  A CAPIA member public insurance adjusters will make sure your claim is presented much more favorably and with careful attention to your policy coverage.  The more detailed and thorough your claim information is, the greater the likelihood that you will get a higher settlement in the end.

Absolutely not. It is a violation for any insurance company to discriminate against you for exercising your right under the policy and securing assistance from a state licensed CAPIA member public insurance adjuster.