Most contractors are honest actors, but how can an adjuster handle a situation in which a contractor takes an aggressive approach, or insists on cutting the insured out of communications? The PLRB crew discusses the difficulties posed by these situations and what some legislatures and doing to address them.
Notable Timestamps
[ 00:35 ] – Hypothetical contractors say that they are paying the insured’s deductible, so the insurance company should only deal with them directly, not the insured.
[ 03:25 ] – Some contractors apply high-pressure urgent sales tactics, and require down payments up front to lock in homeowners before they can research further.
[ 05:54 ] – Fraud, deposit-snatching, and poor workmanship are other issues present in the industry, though uncommon.
[ 08:15 ] – PLRB’s weather tools allow adjusters to confirm weather conditions like wind and hail were present on the date of the loss. On-site, adjusters may face difficult conversations if homeowners have already been promised a new roof.
[ 09:56 ] – Legislatures in nearly half of states have instituted some form of protection such as a customer’s right to cancel a contractor’s contract, prohibitions against contractors paying deductibles, and requirements that contractors have a license to act as a public adjuster.
[ 12:50 ] – Most homeowners policies forbid assignment of benefits without consent, but post-loss assignments are typically permitted.
[ 14:51 ] – Tim provides a recap of the scenario and the points above.
Your PLRB Resources
50-state survey on aggressive contractors – https://search.plrb.org/?dn=57778
One-stop weather research – https://cats.plrb.org/imaps/weather-cat/plrb-cat-data.html
Recorded webinar on investigating fraudulent roofing claims – https://www.plrb.org/distlearn/webinars/vplayer.cfm?vid=w0111
Recorded webinar on assignment of benefits – https://www.plrb.org/distlearn/webinars/vplayer.cfm?vid=w0150
Employees of member companies also have access to a searchable legal database, hundreds of hours of video trainings, building code materials, weather data, and even the ability to have your coverage questions answered by our team of attorneys (https://www.plrb.org/container.cfm?conlink=sec/cq/default.cfm) at no additional charge to you or your company.
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Please reach out to us with your scenario! This could be your “adjuster story” sharing a situation from your claims experience, or a burning question you would like the team to answer. In any case, please omit any personal information as we will anonymize your story before we share. Just reach out to scenario@plrb.org.
Legal Information
The views and opinions expressed in this resource are those of the individual speaker and not necessarily those of the Property & Liability Resource Bureau (PLRB), its membership, or any organization with which the presenter is employed or affiliated. The information, ideas, and opinions are presented as information only and not as legal advice or offers of representation. Individual policy language and state laws vary, and listeners should rely on guidance from their companies and counsel as appropriate.
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