When a Public Adjuster Chicago IL Cannot Recover Your Losses

Childress Loucks & Plunkett specializes in difficult insurance recovery cases in Chicago, IL that are beyond the scope of a public adjuster. In fact, a healthy percentage of our new clients come from recommendations made by Illinois public adjusters who recognize our unique skill set and our firm’s outstanding record of success. In baseball parlance, we are the “heavy hitters” who are called in when the big game is at stake and a homerun is needed. Policy holders who are facing extraordinary losses because their carrier is not acting in good faith may need more than the services offered by a public adjuster, or someone to work in conjunction with the public adjuster.  What Is The Role Of A Public Adjusters?

What is the role of a public adjuster in Chicago, IL?

As in other areas around the country, a public adjuster in Chicago represents a policyholder when they file an insurance claim for a loss they suffered. The public adjuster is tasked with the responsibility of valuing that loss and negotiating with the insurance carrier for a fair settlement on behalf of their client. Public adjusters are usually most effective when the insurance carrier is willing to negotiate in good faith toward a satisfactory resolution for all concerned. However, when the carrier refuses to uphold their ethical and legal responsibility to work with the policy holder, it may be up to a firm such as Childress Loucks & Plunkett to recover their damages.

Benefits of Hiring a Public Adjuster

Whether it’s due to a storm or fire, property damage or loss can be very stressful for a homeowner. You’ve worked hard for your home and may worry if your insurance company will cover all the costs of the damage. That’s why it’s a good idea to work with a public adjuster for Chicago, IL in this type of situation. This individual works for you, the policyholder, not the insurance company. He or she will keep your best interests at heart and ensure that your insurance company settles your claim fairly.

Here are some of the benefits of hiring a public adjuster:

Extensive Knowledge of the Illinois Claims Process

While it would be nice if filing an insurance claim was always cut and dry, it does not always work that way. Insurance policies are very complex documents that come with a lot of fine print. If you misinterpret something in your policy, you could file the claim incorrectly and get it denied. A reputable public adjuster in Chicago, IL will possesses extensive knowledge of the insurance claims process and can help you file your claim without any errors.

Save Time

After your property gets damaged, you have to organize and send a large number of documents to your insurance company. If you work a full-time job or have a family to take care of, you may simply not have enough time in the day to do all of this. That is where a public adjuster serving Chicago, IL comes in. He or she will organize all the necessary documents and manage your claim so that you can take care of your other responsibilities.

Higher Settlement

By working with a Chicago, IL public adjuster, you increase your chances of receiving a fair settlement. A public adjuster knows the ins and outs of insurance policies and will ensure that your insurance company is treating you fairly. If your insurance company offers you a settlement that is too low, a public adjuster will work hard to negotiate for a higher settlement.

Faster Payout

When you are dealing with property damage, you naturally want to get it fixed as soon as possible. An experienced public adjuster in Chicago, IL understands how to process the documents that are needed and speak to the insurance company, speeding up the claims process. If you work with a public adjuster, you can increase your likelihood of getting your claim settled in a timely manner.

Less Stress

Dealing with the damage to your house is already stressful enough. Handling the claims process by yourself can overwhelm you even more. If you hire a public adjuster, he or she can handle the entire claims process, taking some of the stress off your back. You can sit back and concentrate on getting your house back in order.

If you are getting ready to file an insurance claim for property damage, schedule an appointment with a trusted public adjuster in Chicago, IL from Childress Loucks & Plunkett. Many public adjusters don’t charge upfront fees and only take a percentage of your settlement.

How Childress Loucks & Plunkett Differs from a Public Adjuster in Chicago, IL

An attorney from Childress Loucks & Plunkett may form a strategic partnership with a public adjuster, most often to take a client whose case is complex. Our backgrounds, specialized training, and experience allows us to protect our clients in ways that a public adjuster in Chicago, IL may not be able to accomplish. When a client is embroiled in a coverage dispute with their carrier, we can represent them and protect their rights. Depending on the client’s circumstances, Childress Loucks & Plunkett can provide any of the following services:

1. Advise the client as necessary regarding the investigation of their claim, legal methods to recover their damages, whether their losses justify litigation, and more.
2. Fulfill a leadership role to ensure balanced collaboration with the policyholder and the adjuster, broker, attorneys, and others who are involved in carrier coverage and loss claims. Take a proactive approach and in the wake of a policy holder’s loss, make recommendations on future insurance coverage.

Who We Serve

Though our client base occasionally overlaps with those a public adjuster in Chicago, IL may serve, our attorneys at Childress Loucks & Plunkett have played a vital role in the financial well being of a wide range of policyholders:

1. Businesses that vary in size from enterprise to large corporations. When a company suffers extensive property damage from a natural disaster such as a storm or fire, their insurance carrier may refuse to bully payout the claim.
2. Homeowners who experience high-dollar damage to their exclusive properties and other valuable assets may be in need of our claims and litigation services not offered by a public adjuster in Chicago, IL.

If you are in need of more protection than a public adjuster Chicago, IL can provide, contact us at Childress Loucks & Plunkett to learn how we may be able to help you recover your damages.

Common Reasons Homeowners Insurance Claims Get Denied

Your home is one of your biggest investments, so it’s important to protect it with insurance. If a fire or other disaster damages your home, you want to have a peace of mind knowing that your losses are covered. However, insurance companies don’t accept every claim that they receive. In fact, they reject many homeowners insurance claims for one reason or another. Sometimes, these tricky situations mean that you need more protection than a public adjuster in Chicago, IL can provide.

Here are some common reasons why homeowners insurance claims get denied:

The Damage Isn’t Covered

While it would be great if every type of damage was covered in a standard homeowners insurance policy, it doesn’t work that way. There are several add-on options that aren’t covered unless you pay an extra premium. For example, if you live an area where flooding is common, flood damage likely won’t be covered under a standard policy. You will likely have to pay an additional fee to your insurance company. A Chicago, IL public adjuster could assist you, working on behalf of the policy holder to get you a fair settlement, but if that is not possible, contacting an attorney from Childress Loucks & Plunkett may be your next move.

The Deadline Was Missed

Insurance companies don’t give you all the time in the world to file homeowners insurance claims. In fact, many insurance companies give you no more than 180 days to file a claim. Once that time has passed, you will no longer be eligible to receive compensation. That’s why it’s best to file your claim as soon as you can with either a public adjuster in Chicago, IL or an attorney from Childress Loucks & Plunkett.

The Damage Was Misrepresented

Whether your house was damaged from a fire or wind storm, it’s important to be completely honest about the damage. If you lie or embellish the extent of the damage, they will definitely deny your claim. Misrepresenting the damage can also make you liable for heavy fines.

Necessary Maintenance Was Neglected

As a homeowner, it’s your responsibility to keep your home maintained and make repairs when necessary. If your insurance company finds out that the damage was partially due to your lack of maintenance, your claim could get denied. For example, if you knew that your roof has needed repairs for a while and wind storm damages it further, your insurer may decide not to cover you.

Liability Is Elsewhere

Damage could incur to your home because of other people. For example, you could hire landscapers, cleaners or other professionals to work on your home and they may unintentionally cause damage to it. If this occurs, your insurance company won’t likely be the one covering the damage. The liability is on the people who do the damage to your home.

The Damage is Less Than the Deductible

One of the most common reasons homeowners insurance claims are denied is because the damage doesn’t exceed the deductible. For example, if your deductible is $1,000 and the damage costs only $500 to repair, your insurance company won’t pay for it. You will have to pay for the damage out of your own pocket.

It can be frustrating getting your homeowners insurance claim denied. If you believe your insurance company wrongly denied your claim, and your case is outside of the abilities of a Chicago, IL public adjuster, you should consult with a lawyer from Childress Loucks & Plunkett.