Insurance companies use different tactics to maximize their profits while reducing claim payouts whether they know it or not. The tactics include, but are not limited to the three D’s: deny, delay, and defend.
The first D is to deny the claim outright or portions of the claim. They are trained to use terms like “wear and tear” or “that is pre-existing damage from an old storm”. The most efficient way to argue coverage with an insurance company is to use a public adjuster.
The second D is to delay. Any time we attempt to supplement a claim or argue that the adjuster made an incorrect coverage decision, it may take weeks or months to get the claim settled. Insurance adjusters are always busy, but the only way to settle the claim in a timely fashion is making sure you call or email on a daily basis. The constant communication shows the insurance adjuster that you aren’t going to go away without a fair settlement.
The third D is to defend. The insurance adjusters don’t like to admit they missed damage or inaccurately estimated the damage. During my time with Liberty Mutual and as an independent adjuster, I had thought these same notions as well. I was very wrong, the more and more supplements that were presented to me, the more I knew how much I had to learn. Insurance adjusters tend to use phrases like “get another bid” or “that’s plenty of money to fix that”. Insurance adjusters don’t always have knowledge of local building codes, know the availability of certain building materials, or the necessary repairs that go into an estimate.
Insurance companies anticipate that you as a homeowner will give up arguing the claim or simply accept the amount given to you. At ACZ Consulting, we know how to work around these tactics and make sure you get a fair settlement.