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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Concordia Sr. Claims Manager?

By definition, a “Public Adjuster” is a licensed professional who has knowledge in the area of loss adjustments. They are retained by the general public to assist in preparing, filing, and negotiating adjustments of their insurance claims. A Concordia Sr. Claims Manager is different. Our Sr. Claims Managers are highly experienced and educated in every aspect of claims negotiations and the interpretation of insurance policies. They have a professional, sophisticated understanding of what to look for in every aspect of every claim.

 

Are Concordia’s Sr. Claims Managers in any way affiliated with insurance

companies?

Never. Our services are engaged exclusively by the policyholder, not by the insurance company.

What can a Concordia Sr. Claims Manager do for me?

Our Sr. Claims Managers will advise and assist your recovery team in the preparation of building damage assessment reports, estimates, personal property inventories, and other essential, factual proofs of loss. These Managers will handle all the necessary details for compiling and filing claims, as required by the terms of your insurance policies. They will also meet and confer with insurance company representatives, handling the negotiations essential to proper, satisfactory, and equitable adjustments of your claim. Further, we will process the complex paperwork required by your mortgage company, facilitating and reporting their payments during your recovery.

How can a Concordia’s Sr. Claims Manager better serve me over an insurance company adjuster?

An insurance company adjuster is an employee of the insurance company. These adjusters represent the interests of only two entities:

  • the insurance company and its agenda and

  • their personal income.


A Concordia Sr. Claims Manager works exclusively in the best interest of our client.

Why should I hire a Concordia Sr. Claims Manager to get what’s rightfully due me?

Are you fully aware what is rightfully due to you? Only after detailed due-diligence can anyone know that answer. Your policy places the responsibility of proving your loss on you, the insured. Left undone, the insurance company will do it for you. This means that the party writing the contract is now also interpreting that language, holding the checkbook and making the decisions about your claim. Who is holding them accountable? Your Concordia Sr. Claims Manager will leave no stone unturned to ensure that your entitlements are not lost. We are your representatives. With our experience and knowledge, we are far more capable of bringing about a favorable, satisfactory, and equitable adjustment.

Why can’t my insurance agent or broker handle my claim?

An agent or broker is well qualified to determine your insurance needs and place your insurance policy in writing; but they are not well trained in detailing insurance losses. You can’t expect an agent or broker, who isn’t paid to adjust losses, to attempt such a task. They generally don’t have the time, training, or facilities to render the highly specialized service of insurance adjusting.

Can I document my own claim better than a Concordia Sr. Claims Manager?

In a word: NO.  It stands to reason that a professional claims manager, experienced in professionally handling and preparing claims every day, will accomplish it more competently and efficiently than the average insured who may have only one or two losses in a lifetime. Do you think you can cut hair better than a trained stylist with years of experience?  Just like a bad haircut, a poorly handled insurance claim can get ugly… fast!

Why should I engage a Concordia Sr. Claims Manager?

Proper adjusting of an insurance claim requires a highly skilled professional insurance expert possessing  a vast knowledge of insurance policies, subrogation, co-insurance, depreciation, inventories, building damage assessments, repair and replacement costs, negotiation skills and industry savvy. These skills are absolutely essential in securing the maximum recovery from your insurance policy. Only experienced Concordia Sr. Claims Managers have all of these qualifications.

Why do I need help in filing an insurance claim?

The typical insurance policy contains many provisions you should be aware of. They include complex details, technical language, time elements and other complicated requirements to which you must adhere. Many people are not aware or understand their policy provisions and do not realize that the burden of proof is on them as the policyholder. In fact, many insurance company representatives actually prefer to work with a public adjuster rather than an inexperienced policyholder.

You took the time to insure your home and business against physical damage. However, your likelihood of having a full understanding and knowledge of the insurance policy coverage, claims process and strategies is slight.

In all legal contracts such as your insurance policy, each party has their own interest. Many clients have discovered that some insurance companies are looking to protect their profits at the expense of the inexperienced policyholder. As an insurance professional, Concordia Sr. Claims Manager not only has your confidence, but the insurance company adjuster’s as well. They recognize that they are working with a qualified professional. Concordia’s Sr. Claims Managers are experienced in what to look for within your insurance policy, fully understanding the procedures necessary to prepare and file a claim in accordance with policy requirements.

What is the extent of a Public Adjuster’s responsibility?

A Public Adjuster assists with every phase of preparing and presenting a claim, as well as accomplishing an adjustment for their client which is equitable and includes everything to which they are entitled under their insurance policy.

How does a Public Adjuster determine the actual loss?

As your Public Adjuster, Concordia Claims Managers takes a physical inventory of your damage with your assistance, prepares the estimate of damages to your building, and obtains other pertinent documentation to determine your loss of rents, or additional living expenses. If your loss also consists of personal property, our team will prepare the most comprehensive contents evaluation written in the industry. We make certain that all provisions in your insurance policy are properly addressed. This often involves numerous steps of which you may know little or nothing, but which can have a significant impact on the amount of your final settlement.

Why shouldn’t I wait to get an offer from the insurance company before engaging a Public Adjuster?

From the outset, the insurance company makes a dollar evaluation of your loss at the time they first inspect it. This is called a “reserve” and is an absolute requirement in most states. The adjuster establishes this “reserve” based solely upon his initial inspection, your knowledge of the loss, and additional information you may remember to tell him. He is hired and paid by the insurance company, so his primary interest is how to best protect his employer. Unless some agreements are made initially regarding the scope of loss and what is to be done next (such as temporary repairs, temporary living quarters, cleaners, etc.), serious problems could arise that may jeopardize the final settlement figures. Concordia Claims Managers will help eliminate the possibility of “missing items” that you may have initially overlooked.

To avoid misunderstandings, long delays, and reduced settlements, it’s always wise to hire a Concordia Sr. Claims Manager to negotiate possible problems before they occur. A Concordia Sr. Claims Manager should be immediately engaged to protect your interests just as you would immediately hire an attorney after an involvement in automobile collisions or personal injury accidents. The rule here: “Never go it alone”.

Why is a builder’s or contractor’s estimate insufficient for the insurance company to make an equitable settlement?

Building contractors do not have experience in interpreting insurance policies and how they apply to a loss. They are not knowledgeable in calculating depreciation, coinsurance, actual cash value provisions of the policy or other elements of your loss. Further, a contractor must be competitive with his bid, attempting to submit the least possible amount in order to secure the job.

Hidden heat, hot (and cold) smoke damage, and water damage could cause you problems even after you settle your loss. These hidden conditions and many more are usually overlooked because many contractors are unfamiliar with the methods of preparing a detailed estimate in a format that the insurance company recognizes. Additionally, by law a contractor is not licensed to handle your personal property inventories, prepare your additional living expense loss or give advice about your insurance policy.

Concordia Claims Managers engages the services of skilled, knowledgeable, experienced engineers, builders, and/or loss experts to prepare highly detailed estimates of all aspects of your loss. The content of Concordia Claims Managers’ building estimate is in a form that is familiar to insurance company experts and is done in conjunction with examinations by both the insurance company’s adjusters and our experts. Every item of reconstruction is accounted for and detailed. The completed estimate specifically details all aspects of damage repairs necessary to restore the building to its original condition or evaluate it as to its current value.

Will my loss be settled more quickly with the services of a Public Adjuster?

Concordia Claims Managers knows exactly what must be provided to the insurance company in order to expedite the settlement of your claim. A great deal of time can be saved by having a Concordia Sr. Claims Manager handle your loss.

Inspections are done immediately, estimates are prepared, inventories completed, and time elements losses are implemented. Accumulation of evidence and substantiation begins without delay. With your cooperation, we will quickly have your claim filed and the settlement process under way. Concordia commits to the homeowner that in most instances we will normally have an initial estimate within five business days from engagement of our services. This expedites the claims process and returns you to your home sooner.

How does Concordia get paid?

We charge a small percentage of what the insured receives in settlement. We don’t receive any fee until the insurance company actually issues a check to you. It is to our benefit to achieve the maximum settlement possible for you in as little time as possible. We also guarantee that the added benefits gained from engaging our services will more than compensate the cost of our fee, at the very least. Our fees are “contingent”, similar to how attorneys or realtors establish their fees.

Can a Concordia Claims Manager or Public Adjuster help me with my tax loss?

In a situation where additional information is required, Concordia Claims Managers works cooperatively with your accountant on tax issues. We will also provide the documentation required to help your Certified Public Accountant or attorney complete any income tax losses you may have suffered as a result of your claim. We’ve worked in cooperation with many of these professionals and have been of great value, producing the required documentation needed to provide our clients with a detailed loss picture. Concordia Claims Managers never charges for providing this information. However, our fee does not cover additional charges you may incur for accountants, legal services or other experts.

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