FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why do you need homeowners Insurance?

Homeowners insurance is an important purchase for many people. There are two major
reasons to buy homeowners insurance:

1. To protect your assets - Homeowners insurance covers the structure of your home and your personal property, as well as your personal legal responsibility (or liability) for injuries to others or their property while they’re on your property.
2. To satisfy your mortgage lender - Most mortgage lenders require you to have insurance as long as you have a mortgage and to list them as the mortgagee on the policy. If you let your insurance lapse, your mortgage lender will likely have your home insured. Compared to a policy you would buy on your own, the premium might be much higher and the coverage will be limited to damage to the structure of your home. The lender can require you to pay this higher premium until you get your own homeowners insurance again.

Is it legal for my insurance company to non-renew my homeowners insurance because I have too many claims?

Pennsylvania insurance law prohibits an insurance company from terminating a homeowners insurance policy for “claims” or “loss history”.

However, if a similar type claim is re-occurring, the insurance company may request improvements to correct the problem causing the loss. Failure to comply with recommendations may result in termination.

Many homeowners are concerned that filing a claim will raise there insurance rates.  This is definitely not the case.  After all, the reason we pay homeowners insurance is to protect us against loss of our most valuable investment, our home.  Therefore, the insurance company does not raise your rates for using the very service you are paying for.  Raising your rates for filing a claim would be equivalent to paying your car payment, and the monthly amount going up because you drove it...

What is a Public Adjuster?

A Public Adjuster is a licensed and bonded professional responsible for PROTECTING THE POLICYHOLDER.  A Public Adjuster represents you, the property owner, not the insurance company.  The primary function is to advise and assist homeowners and business owners to MAXIMIZE PROPERTY DAMAGE CLAIM SETTLEMENTS.  For example, if you were being sued, you would hire an attorney to protect your interest, right? The same is true when dealing with your insurance company, except you would hire a Public Adjuster who is trained specifically to handle your claim.  The insurance adjuster that is sent from the insurance company to investigate your claim does not represent your best interest.

Why hire a Public Adjuster?

If you have suffered any type of property damage, from the recent snowstorms, a fire, plumbing leaks, toilet overflows, wind and rain or some other catastrophic event, consider these three points…

• It is up to you to prove the extent of your loss to the Insurance Company.

A typical insurance policy is dozens of pages long and contains numerous provisions and stipulations written in technical and legal terms. Additionally, it contains various forms and endorsements which are constantly changing from year to year. Most policyholders have difficulty in understanding all of them. To be compensated for your loss, there are certain conditions which must be satisfied Failure to do so could reduce your settlement amount or even cause your claim to be denied.

• No matter how organized you and your documentation is, filing and receiving payment on a claim can be a time consuming and tedious process.

If you are not sufficiently organized and your loss documented, you may not realize the compensation you have paid for and are entitled to receive.

• A Public Adjuster has the experience, knowledge and expertise to obtain your maximum entitlements under your policy.

Remember that the Insurance Company Adjuster is representing the insurance company. It is not uncommon for the Insurance company to misinterpret their own insurance policy or forget to apply case law or Statutes which supersede their own policy. A Public Adjuster will know current laws as they affect insurance losses and how to best represent you. A Public Adjuster has resources to help you through the maze of estimating, documenting, and filing your insurance claims.

TAKE OUR HOMEOWNERS COVERAGE POP QUIZ