Public adjusters in Atlanta don’t simply apply for a job at a local firm and start negotiating with insurance companies the next day! Georgia regulates public adjusters closely and, while adjusters are not attorneys, they do need to know the insurance laws and rules that govern their work.
Here are a few details about how public adjusters find jobs in Atlanta and what their work involves, in case you’re considering this career. They can also help property owners see the benefits of hiring an adjuster when it’s time to negotiate with their insurance company!
What Do Public Adjusters in Atlanta Do?
First consider what public adjusters in Atlanta do, as it explains what the state requires of them before they can work! A public adjuster usually starts by reviewing the property owner’s insurance policy, to understand what it covers and what it excludes.
The adjuster then inspects and documents the damage, whether that’s a tree through the roof of a Decatur bungalow after a summer thunderstorm, hail damage across a subdivision in Gwinnett County, or a burst pipe in a Midtown condo after a hard freeze. They prepare the claim, negotiate with the insurance company on the property owner’s behalf for a fair settlement, and handle the paperwork, keeping the owner informed every step of the way.
What Is Needed to Become an Atlanta Public Adjuster
Public adjusters are not simply office workers, and they don’t sell policies; they must be licensed by the Georgia Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire. For a resident license, the Commissioner’s office requires a property and casualty public adjuster pre-licensing course, which teaches the basics of insurance and public adjusting, and a passing score on the state’s public adjuster exam.
Applicants must also submit fingerprints for a criminal background check and file a $5,000 surety bond in favor of the Commissioner. A bond works like an insurance policy for the public: it pays a harmed party when an adjuster violates the terms of the bond. The adjuster pays a premium for the bond, not the full $5,000. (See suretybonds.com for more on this bond.)
There are also application and licensing fees, and the course and the fingerprinting have their own costs. Once licensed, a public adjuster must complete continuing education to renew the license. Adjusters based in other states can hold a Georgia non-resident license; Ramon Melo, for example, holds Georgia public adjuster license #3308108 as a non-resident.
Georgia also requires a public adjuster to use a contract form the Commissioner has approved. Before signing with any public adjuster, you can look up their license on the Commissioner’s website.
How Do Atlanta Public Adjusters Find Jobs?
Once licensed and bonded, few public adjusters in Atlanta strike out on their own and find clients themselves right away. Most join firms that employ public adjusters; those firms already have websites, referrals and other ways of bringing in clients.
Working with a firm also gives a new public adjuster hands-on training from more experienced adjusters, who can show them how the insurance companies they will deal with handle claims, and what kind of losses Atlanta’s storms, falling trees and freezes cause.
A public adjuster can work on their own, as long as they keep up their license, bond and other requirements, but that means finding clients and working each claim while also handling the paperwork, billing and other office work. Clients may also be more hesitant to hire a new public adjuster who is just starting out and doesn’t have a track record yet.
When and Why Hire a Public Adjuster
Not every property insurance claim needs a public adjuster. If a small leak under your sink damages a cabinet and the insurance company pays a fair price for the repair, you might not need anyone to step in and negotiate. However, if you’ve gone through a house fire, or a storm has dropped a tree on your home, and the insurance company is offering to pay only a small part of the repair costs, it’s probably time to call a public adjuster!
A public adjuster works with you and the insurance company, first reviewing your claim and your policy, and then negotiating for a fair settlement. He or she is usually paid a percentage of the settlement, agreed in writing before work begins.
Melo Public Adjusters Atlanta is happy to bring this information to our readers, and we hope it helped you understand how public adjusters in Atlanta find jobs, and why their work is valuable! If you’re struggling with an insurance claim of your own and aren’t ready to keep negotiating with your insurance company alone, call our Atlanta public adjusters. We work to get every client a fair settlement, and we answer your questions every step of the way. To find out more, give us a call today.