Why I am a Public Adjuster

And Why It Matters To The Insurance Policyholders

I was raised in the commercial construction industry back in the 1970’s. I worked closely with old world war II era builders and superintendents who pulled themselves up by their bootstraps after the war. I was also required to work closely with highly trained engineers. I learned my trade from both those two diverse parties.The engineers who had their way of getting things done utilizing their advanced mathematical skills on the one side. Then on the other side the old school construction superintendents and builders who had their ways of getting mostly the same thing done utilizing basic math and old school down to earth practical methods.

By the time I was twenty years old as a superintendent I had built multi-million dollar commercial buildings including churches, community

centers and more. Then in my early twenties I worked with the founders of Habitat Atlanta to help get their non-profit housing program

started along with helping various other non-profits start similar housing programs in conjunction with my church. I was young, I had

been highly trained and I knew how to get things done. So, I was valued by those who paid me a salary and those who I worked for as

a volunteer.

I have long since moved on into other business ventures and now as a public adjuster, my early experience and training in the construction industry once again is proving to be highly valued by those whom I endeavor to assist. That’s because my extensive understanding of how buildings of all kind were built, depending on the era they were built, is of course a great resource for understanding the extent a structure has been damaged and what it will take to repair the structure.

However, understanding the structure of a building is only a small part of getting a home or business restored. More importantly, understanding the contract referred to as an insurance policy is much more important. An insurance policy contains contractual commitments by the insurance company to pay for repairs in the event the insured property is damaged by an insured hazard. Finding these commitments within the policy is one thing. Negotiating the meaning of the words in regards to getting an insured structure restored by the insurance company is a very different thing. It may not surprise you to learn that the insurance company’s interpretation of the words in the policy can be vastly different from the policyholder’s expectations.

I have spent most of my adult life analyzing and understanding contracts of various sorts. I survived in the business world by understanding the instruments I was signing and became highly respected for my ability to do so.

Contracts are often written to obscure the facts even when they are multilateral contracts. In a multilateral contract all parties work hard to include their own best interests and they have a fair chance at doing so. Insurance policies are completely different types of contracts. They are not by nature multilateral. They are instead a unilateral contract written by the insurance company for the best interest of only one party; the insurance company.

The policyholder has very little input if any into the policy. It is a take it or leave it offer where the policyholder pays the premiums or loses coverage. The insurance company collects the premiums and if there is a claim they fight hard to payout as little if any money using their own unilateral contract to defend themselves against the policyholders’ claim.

Then there is the fact that if you have a mortgage the mortgage company will require you to pay for a home or business owner’s policy that will primarily protect the interest of the mortgage company and then gradually protect you as your equity in your building accrues. Of course that’s if you don’t sell the property or refinance it in the meantime.

The one sided nature of this arrangement is so clearly defined that the courts have long taken a stand on the side of the policyholders. While that is a great benefit to the policyholders, what about the claims that don’t rise to the level of a court proceeding?

Recognizing the need to keep claims out of the courts and even up the playing field, most states in the United States have enacted laws authorizing the licensing of public adjusters and public adjusting firms that are charged with representing the policyholders. Then if the public adjusting firm can not get a fair settlement in peer to peer negotiations with the insurance company’s representative on the behalf of the policyholder then the process goes to arbitration. Both parties designate adjusters and the adjusters select an umpire to make a decision when there is an impasse. Then if the issues are not settled in arbitration the whole thing ends up in court as a last resort.

I don’t want to sound harsh but I didn’t create the harsh reality that as policyholder’s who have mortgages we have to buy the products that the insurance companies have unilaterally created to maximize their profits and minimize any payouts to the policyholders. To make matters worse the greatest weapon the insurance companies have is ignorance. The policyholders' ignorance that is.

All too often policyholders rely on their insurance company’s employees to explain their policy to them.

That trust is in most cases badly misplaced. Most policyholders don’t realize just how much the insurance

companies actually owe them according to their policy even though it’s an unilateral policy.

A vast majority of claims go without being filed because the policyholder either fails to read their policy or

most likely does not fully understand their policy. As a result policyholders unnecessarily pay out of pocket

to have the repairs done that their insurance company may have been required to pay if the policyholder

had filed a proper claim. That’s because insurance policies have to provide some value or they would be

seen as complete scams. In most states lawmakers have tried to build in to insurance policies

consumer protections but the policyholder has to know they are there and fight for their rights within their policy

So, as a public adjuster who understands how the insured structures were built I understand what it will take to restore them after a disaster. My experience in the business world helps me understand what it takes to file a successful claim. At no charge I use this experience before a disaster to help policyholders understand their rights according to their policy and point out to them any coverage gaps. If a claim does occur I help policyholders get the full value of the coverage within their policy.

However, what I am most interested in is the process of preventing disasters whenever possible and helping people survive a disaster if one occurs. Some might say that I am working against my own best interest by trying to help people prevent a disaster such as fire or burglary. Nonsense. The world will always be full of people who need expert assistance to recover from disasters of all sorts. Preventing disasters whenever possible is a moral duty.

Prevention: I help policyholders recognize hazards within their structures that might cause a disaster. To that end I have endeavored to become educated in what causes fires and how to prevent burglaries. I have taken the same classes by UL’s FSRI that firefighters are required to take. I have become certified in many of the courses so I can speak from an educated point of view.

Prepare: Being prepared is as simple as placing smoke and co2 alarms around the house. As fast as fire propagates in modern structures and synthetic furnishings it is essential that modern homes have these alarms spaced around the house, especially guarding the sleeping areas. It’s important to have the appropriate fire extinguishers placed around the house. It is good practice to close your bedroom door at night and have a phone nearby in case you are trapped by smoke and fire. This is just a short summary of the many ways you need to be prepared.

Survive: Then, God forbid a disaster does happen, can you and your loved ones survive it? Survival is largely dependent on your preparation. Do you have an escape plan in place that you and everyone in the structure have practiced? If you can’t make it out of the structure do you know how to shelter in place until help arrives. Do you have a way to get out of the upper floors of a structure and safely to the ground? The list can be long and very specific to the person and the structure.

Recover: Recovery usually starts with a good insurance policy that you have reviewed annually with an insurance professional who is NOT trying to sell you a policy. That is most often a public adjuster.

I am trained in a wide range of disciplines and have a lifetime of experience to bring to bear. You only need to reach out to me before and after a disaster. When you do, I will do my best to help you achieve the best possible outcome. Even if your claim has been closed or denied by your insurance company we can reopen your claim and do a double check at no cost to you. Then if we are able to collect additional money for you, which we often do for our clients, we take our percentage from that pay out.

I look forward to helping you anyway I can in regards to keeping your home or business safe and helping you recover if there is a loss.

David W Conn

Public Adjuster

Licensed and Bonded

I built this Church when I was 20 years old