How To File A Property Insurance Claim

And The Important Decision You Must Make Before You File The Claim.

Have you recently sustained MAJOR damage to your home or business from a sudden fire, water, or other loss event? Looking for help in navigating the insurance claims process? At Manhattan Public Adjustment, we’re here for you during this difficult time. 

In this post, you’ll learn: 

1. The critical decision you must make before you file your insurance claim.
2. What a Public Adjuster is, and the benefits of retaining one
3. The three options you have right now for going through the insurance claims process.

Ultimately, after reading this post you will be empowered to make an informed decision regarding your claim recovery and the path that lies ahead.

The Important Decision

After a suffering a major residential fire or water loss, you have a critical decision to make. A decision that will profoundly affect your life and finances for the next 6 to 24 months – so it’s critical that you make the right decision in this moment.

And the decision is not – “how to file an insurance claim.”

Filing the claim is the easy part.

Claims can be filed through your insurance company’s website or by phone. You can also file a claim through your insurance agent or broker.

The trouble happens once you submit the claim.

Did you make a mistake during submission?

Did you answer a question the wrong way?

A small mistake in this phase could put you in the fastlane to underpayment or denial.

In the aftermath of experiencing major property damage, the shock, stress, and confusion can be overwhelming.

Not knowing what to do… 

Not knowing who to trust… 

These feelings are completely natural.

So it’s not surprising that many people rush to contact their insurance company first –

Without exploring their options.

All too often this is a critical mistake that sets the policyholder up for a long, slow, and painful claims process.

Make the wrong decision at this moment, and you will pay for it dearly.

Not to sound dire, but your decision will profoundly affect your life and financial recovery for the next 6 to 24 months — so it’s critical you make the right decision before you file your claim.

So what’s the decision? 

The decision is whether to hire a Public Adjuster, and if you decide to – how to hire the right Public Adjuster for your situation.

Why You Should Listen To Us

Manhattan Public Adjustment is a Public Adjuster firm. This means we are a team of licensed Public Adjusters. For those who don’t know, a Public Adjuster is a licensed insurance professional who represents policyholders during the claims process. Unlike all other types of adjusters who advocate for insurance companies, Public Adjusters advocate for the interests of the policyholder. 

Our area of specialization is major residential fire and water damage claims in NYC. In a nutshell, our services include filing the claim, claim management, presentation, negotiation, and settlement. Our services help homeowners successfully navigate the insurance claims process and receive the maximum benefits available under their policies.

We are members of the American Association of Public Insurance Adjusters, and are certified by the IICRC in Fire and Water Damage Restoration. Our Public Adjusters are also licensed in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., Florida, Texas, California, and more.

Examples of Claims We’ve Handled

Click/tap each image to view short walk-thrus of each loss.

Benefits of Retaining a Public Adjuster

You already have enough on your plate after suffering property damage to your home or business. 

A Public Adjuster can manage everything so as to expedite your recovery, and receive the maximum claim settlement.

This includes:

Conducting a thorough inspection of your property, document all damages, and negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf. We have a deep understanding of insurance policies and claim procedures, and can often identify damages and expenses that you may not have considered.

While it’s true that public adjusters charge a fee for their services, many policyholders find that the increased settlement they receive with the help of a public adjuster more than covers the cost of their services.

How to Hire A Public Adjuster

In the following story, you will learn why it is important to hire the right Public Adjuster after a major fire or water loss, and the possible catastrophic consequences of hiring the wrong one.

Not long ago, we were involved with a major fire damage loss in Brooklyn, NY that involved 4 adjoined buildings. 

The fire started in building 2, then spread to buildings 1, 3, and 4.

In the aftermath, buildings 1, 2, and 3 were at risk of collapse and half a dozen city agencies were involved, including the DOB, DEP, HPD, DFS, FDNY, and NYPD. Emergency shoring was needed to stabilize the properties (or the city would tear them down).

Our firm handled the claims for buidings 1 and 3.

The story below reveals what happened.

Don’t Hire The Wrong Public Adjuster

Another public adjuster represented the middle building. 

That Public Adjuster didn’t show up for 8am winter meetings at the loss site.

They didn’t file paperwork on time.

They were nowhere to be found during the claims process.

By the time we settled our claims, the building they were responsible for had been razed by the city, and all that remained was fresh dirt in an empty lot.

Unfortunately, that’s what can happen when you hire the wrong Public Adjuster.

The 7-Figure Success Story

Compare that story to the narrative below.

Of those four buildings, two were owned by the same individual.

He desperately wanted to save his buildings from demolition.

Given the urgency of the situation, our firm immediately triaged the loss and organized a team, including a respected general contractor, a world-class engineering firm, a leading asbestos abatement contractor, a permit expeditor, and architect who could work together with us to save our client’s buildings. 

From there, we coordinated all parties involved and developed a plan for what would become a nearly 16-month restoration project. 

Ultimately, we helped the policyholder receive policy limits for just about every coverage under their policies.

In total, the claim exceeded $1.7 million.

This included the buildings, contents, loss of income, additional living expenses, and more.

We worked with our client every step of the way until the claim was resolved. And our client didn’t have to speak with their insurance company at all. 

We handled everything. How?

At Manhattan Public Adjustment, we use our unique three-pillar claim-handling strategy called The Manhattan Method. 

The Manhattan Method™

At Manhattan Public Adjustment, we use our unique three-pillar claim-handling strategy called The Manhattan Method. 

This includes:

Manhattan Claim Concierge™: The first pillar is our Manhattan Claim Concierge, in which our clients work 1-on-1 with our Executive Public Adjuster and Director of Claims Operations. In the concierge service, we manage everything related to the claim including communication, inspections, estimation, negotiation, settlement, and any other claim-related matters that come up.

Estimating Partnership: The second pillar is our Exclusive Estimating Partnership with Empire Estimators, which allows us to provide you with the fastest and most comprehensive property damage estimating services for your loss. This ensures you get paid what you need to restore your property to its pre-loss condition.

Collaboration: The third pillar is our Public Adjuster team. We’re certified in fire damage restoration, water damage restoration, and come from a diversity of experiences in the insurance restoration industry. We work together on each claim to develop a unique claim strategy that aligns with our client’s needs to facilitate the claim, avoid pitfalls, and help our clients achieve optimal claim outcomes.

Ultimately, when someone chooses to work with Manhattan Public Adjustment, they get the peace of mind that comes from having a trusted claims partner who will help them successfully navigate the insurance claims process with ease.

But don’t just take it from us. Here are just a few things our clients have to say… 

What clients are saying

The Decision Is Yours

Right now, if you have sustained major property damage and you’re reading this, you realistically have three options.

OPTION #1 — GO IT ALONE

The first option is to go it alone and trust your insurance company to lead you through the claims process which, in our opinion, is strongly inadvisable. 

Your insurance company may assure you initially, but when it comes time to pay, remember it’s their business to minimize payouts.

You and your insurance company have conflicting interests. While your policyholder wants to receive the most money they can for their claim, the insurance company wants to pay the least.

And insurance companies often succeed. Why?

Because while the policyholder is acting alone, the insurance company is an organization outfitted with virtually unlimited resources, including a wide network of experts including builders, engineers, and attorneys they can deploy at will.  

Meanwhile, the policyholder’s life or business is completely on hold until the claim is resolved and they are left at the mercy of an insurance company with an abundance of time; they can drag their feet as long as they want. 

If you do choose to go it alone, you will waste valuable time and you almost certainly won’t receive the maximum benefits you are entitled to under your policy. 

The worst part is you’ll never know what your claim could have been worth.

OPTION #2 – HIRE A PUBLIC ADJUSTER WHO IS A CLAIMS GENERALIST

Your second option is to hire a public adjuster who is a claims generalist.

There are many Public Adjusters out there who are knowledgeable about claims and the claims process.

They could be a good fit for your claim – if your claim is a small loss.

Many public adjusters who are generalists are self-employed and handle all aspects of their businesses themselves.

Chances are these public adjusters don’t have a streamlined process or an experienced team backing them.

For these reasons, they simply may not have time or attention to dedicate to major property damage claims, which leads to poor customer support, poor follow-up, and slow claims handling, which ultimately results in a longer claims process and smaller settlements for YOU, the policyholder.

While hiring a self-employed claims generalist is likely better than going it alone, it is not the best choice when you have major property damage.

We don’t name names, but we have had to clean up after many Public Adjusters across the New York Metropolitan Area when their clients have come to us frustrated and looking for help!

OPTION #3 – RECOMMEND A SPECIALIST

Your third option — and your best option — is to retain a Public Adjuster firm.

But not just any firm.

You should choose a firm that specializes in YOUR type of claim.

The firm should have a proven strategy, a streamlined process, a proven track record of helping property owners with your type of claim, and a team of Public Adjusters, Estimators, and Experts available who specialize in helping people with those claims achieve maximum property claim outcomes.

Don’t Worry! We Can Help You.

That’s what we do.

We specialize in major residential fire and water damage claims, and only major residential fire and water damage claims.

So if you have sustained major residential fire or water damage, we can help you.

We want to help you.

We’re here to help you.

The team at Manhattan Public Adjustment is here to implement The Manhattan Method™ to help you successfully navigate the insurance claims process, so you can receive the maximum settlement and get your life back to normal after a disaster.

Speak with a Public Adjuster

If this interests you, click the button below and answer the questions to schedule a free strategy call with a Public Adjuster from our team.

On this call, we will discuss your damages, your claim, and your ideal claim outcome.

If we‘re a good fit for what you need, we’ll also discuss working together, what that would look like, and answer any questions you may have.

We have a limited number of time spots available over the next few days, so if you’re interested be sure to schedule your call now before our calendar fills up!

Click the button below to get started on receiving the claim recovery you deserve now.