text: Our team at Reinstate are here to assist commercial and domestic property owners to understand their insurance policy and prepare their claim for the insurance company and their representatives. We know that the world of insurance claims can often appear to be overwhelming to people who have no previous experience in the claims process. But when disaster strikes, it is important to understand who to call in order to help you through the procedures that you will come up against when you attempt to make a claim.
  In the unexpected event that you need to claim for damages to your property, there are two claims specialists that you need to be aware of. Despite their similar-sounding names, insurance loss adjusters and loss assessors have different functions. Do not be fooled by your insurance company’s bureaucratic approach. By learning about the difference between these two types of claims specialists, you can make informed decisions about your claim.
  What is a loss adjuster?
  When you make an insurance claim, your insurance company will assess whether or not you have a valid claim. In order to do so, they hire an insurance loss adjuster. This person is a specialist in reviewing, analysing, and evaluating property insurance claims. Their main goal is to ascertain what caused the damage to your property as well as to establish the extent of the damage to your property. They will also ensure that the policy was set up correctly and adequately.
  What does a loss adjuster do?
  Once hired, the adjuster works alongside other investigators to establish the details of your claim. Other parties, such as forensic investigators, are often involved in building a watertight understanding of what events took place to cause the claim that you have presented to your insurance company. More often than not, this process can create a great deal of stress for the person making the claim. Your insurance company is obliged to ensure that a settlement is reached in a timely manner, however, they will want to make sure that the adjuster has enough time to conduct a thorough investigation and this could take some time.
  After the loss adjuster has established the cause of the damage, they will create a report detailing all of the events that coincided to create your claim and relay this information to your insurance company.
  Although adjusters operate under an obligation to treat customers fairly as set out by the FCA, they work on behalf of your insurance company and not you. Their report will either recommend that your case be repudiated or accepted it and suggest what the level of liability is in their opinion.
  What is a loss assessor?
  Unlike loss adjusters, a loss assessor is hired by the claimant themselves. Whilst adjusters work with the insurance company’s best interests in mind, property claims loss assessors ensure that the claimant is treated fairly throughout the claims process. Many people who have experience in claiming insurance will hire an assessor as a matter of course. These specialists can counterbalance your insurance company’s slow processes by gathering evidence that validates your claim. From a building aspect, they can provide expert insight as to what the true level of damage is and what the scope of work is to put the property back to its pre-loss condition.
  What does a loss assessor do?
  Like adjusters, assessors want to establish a comprehensive understanding of the incidents leading up to your claim. Once they have compiled their evidence and all of the appropriate information, they then create a detailed list of all of the costs to put the property right.
  Loss assessors submit their findings in order to present a well-argued and reasonable case as to why you should receive the amount of money that you have claimed for.
  There are many perks to hiring an insurance loss assessor. They can translate some of the more difficult to understand jargon and claims processes into digestible chunks of information and act on your behalf when it comes to creating a fair outcome.
  Here at Reinstate, our clients appreciate the fact that our assessors can take the stress out of evidencing the damage and cost to repair. They can also meet with the insurance company appointed adjuster in order to present findings and aim to authenticate claim costs in a time-efficient manner.
  Do I need a loss assessor?
  If you think that you have a claim, it is time to appoint a loss assessor.
  The benefits of having an industry professional working on your behalf in a complicated insurance claim case cannot be understated.
  Loss assessors cut through the difficulties preventing you from progressing matters and get to the heart of the matter quickly. The sooner you have appointed an assessor, the sooner you can sit back and let the experts do the work for you.
  If your claim is already underway, do not worry. There are still advantages to employing an assessor. In the result that your claim has been rejected, an assessor can compile all of the necessary evidence and develop a case for an appeal on your behalf. It is important to note that cases are often rejected on an inaccurate basis, which makes hiring a loss assessor even more important for people who feel that their case is being handled incorrectly.
  Loss assessors at Reinstate
  We are proud to provide people in the North of England with the support and guidance they need to feel relaxed in their claims process. Insurance claims often come at unexpected times and prove to be overwhelming. We are here to ensure that you get the remuneration you deserve promptly so that you can restore your commercial and residential properties to their proper state.
  To read more about our role as your loss assessor companion and to book a discovery call today, click here.