Need an Insurance Appraiser, Umpire, or Mediator?
We can be hired to be your appraiser, as an umpire in your appraisal, or your mediator. We are available to guide you through the insurance appraisal process and assist you, your attorney, or your public adjuster if an appraisal is needed to help resolve disputes.
Few insureds know about the appraisal process or understand how to properly implement the appraisal clause in their policy.
Insurance appraisal has a much different meaning than real estate appraisal. Insurance appraisal is a policy provision that has been set up as a process to efficiently resolve disputes in costs of covered damage and is meant to eliminate the need for litigation.
The typical appraisal language in a policy (and we are stating “typical” because there can be slight variations to the appraisal clause of a policy) reads as follows:
Appraisal. If you and we fail to agree on the amount of loss, either may demand an appraisal of the loss. In this event, each party will choose a competent and impartial appraiser within 20 days after receiving a written request from the other. The two appraisers will choose an umpire. If they cannot agree upon an umpire within 15 days, you or we may request that the choice be made by a judge of a court of record in the state where the “residence premises” is located. The appraisers will separately set the amount of loss. If the appraisers submit a written report of an agreement to us, the amount agreed upon will be the amount of loss. If they fail to agree, they will submit their differences to the umpire. A decision agreed to by any two will set the amount of loss.
Each party will:
1. Pay its own appraiser; and
2. Bear the other expenses of the appraisal and umpire equally.
As you can see there are time stipulations that are imperative to meet, and the appraisers need to be competent and impartial.
Additionally, if your insurance company has used an attorney to submit the demand for appraisal, then we recommended you retain counsel as well. We have a network of attorneys who are available for you if you need them.
There are many experienced appraisers who work for insurance companies but few who will work for you, the insured. We will work for you. Contact us today.
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Tell us about your situation. We’ll offer advice and determine if our services are right for you.