Was your business or commercial property damaged by Hurricane Dorian?

Have your claim reviewed by Claim Management Adjusters, the Carolinas’ most established public adjusting firm. Our extensive network of restoration, roofing and water mitigation professionals will then work to ensure you are back up and running with as little downtime as possible.

A properly executed damage assessment can help with:

• Communicating the loss more effectively to the estimator
• Managing carrier disagreements
• Educating the insured on the loss incurred
• Increasing your net profit

Additional benefits of a damage assessment:

• Clear, accurate scope
• Leverage during adjustments and disputes
• A template for future jobs
• Fewer jobsite visits
• Increased earnings through supplementing

Why Hire a Public Adjuster?

• Expertise: Insurance comes with a lot of paperwork and fine print. A public adjuster can help you understand how your policy works, and can also guide you through the necessary steps to complete your claim.
• Time: Managing your claim can easily become a full-time job. Your public adjuster will spare you from hours of correspondence, documentation and review, so you can focus on regaining a sense of normalcy.
• Pace: The combination of expertise and availability makes a public adjuster more equipped to expedite the claim filing process. Insurance companies speak their own language, and if you don’t understand it, you might find yourself needing two or more attempts to complete each of their requests.
• Representation: Without an expert by your side, your insurer will have no reason to believe that you could and would challenge an unjust settlement. Hire a public adjuster to show that you are serious about your claim, and to assist with next steps if your claim is denied.
• Value: Lastly and most importantly, a public adjuster can recover a sum that truly helps you move forward. A study by the Office of Program and Policy Analysis & Government Accountability in the State of Florida showed that business and homeowner insurance settlements are 747% larger when a public adjuster is involved.

After a catastrophic event such as Hurricane Dorian, a public adjuster is needed more than ever. Insurance companies are handling a high volume of insurance claims in a short period of time, often missing or overseeing important details. Many insurers aren’t even using their own adjusters to handle the workload! Instead, they hire third party providers who then hire 1099 Cat Adjusters. A public adjuster ensures you don’t get caught in this trap.

If your property received damage from Hurricane Dorian, contact Claim Management Adjusters before filing a claim with your insurance company. All you have to do is complete our short form, and you will receive a quick response from one of our experts.

Other Helpful Resources

• American Red Cross Greater Carolinas Region
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
• NC Department of Insurance
• SC Department of Insurance
• Aftermath Estimating, LLC.

As insurance consultants who specialize in dealing with property damage loss claims, not a day goes by that we don’t consider the many unsuspecting home and business owners impacted by this peril. In the wake of this damage we offer free onsite inspections and then provide insurance claim settlement options to the policyholder.

If you can answer ‘Yes’ to any of the following items then please submit a request form to us immediately:

• Did you witness hail hitting your structure?
• Did hail affect any structures nearby you?
• Can you see any shingles missing from your roof?

A properly executed damage assessment can help with:

• Communicating the loss more effectively to the estimator
• Managing carrier disagreements
• Educating the insured on the loss incurred
• Increasing your net profit

Additional benefits of a damage assessment:

• Clear, accurate scope
• Leverage during adjustments and disputes
• A template for future jobs
• Fewer jobsite visits
• Increased earnings through supplementing

Once received, a member of our team will contact you within one business day to discuss the details of your situation and schedule your site inspection.

We were completely stressed out over itemizing all our things lost in the fire – especially figuring out depreciation. We are so grateful for the help CMA provided. They handled much of the burden during an extremely traumatic time.

Wendy 
Homeowner

 

Have your claim reviewed by Claim Management Adjusters, one of the most established public adjusting firms in the nation. Our extensive network of restoration, roofing and damage assessment professionals will work to ensure you are back up and running with as little downtime as possible.

A properly executed damage assessment can help with:
– Communicating the loss more effectively to the estimator
– Managing carrier disagreements
– Educating the insured on the loss incurred
– Increasing your net profit

Additional benefits of a damage assessment:
– Clear, accurate scope
– Leverage during adjustments and disputes
– A template for future jobs
– Fewer job-site visits
– Increased earnings through supplementing

Why Hire a Public Adjuster?
– Expertise: Insurance comes with a lot of paperwork and fine print. A public adjuster can help you understand how your policy works, and can also guide you through the necessary steps to complete your claim.

– Time: Managing your claim can easily become a full-time job. Your public adjuster will spare you from hours of correspondence, documentation and review, so you can focus on regaining a sense of normalcy.

– Pace: The combination of expertise and availability makes a public adjuster more equipped to expedite the claim filing process. Insurance companies speak their own language, and if you don’t understand it, you might find yourself needing two or more attempts to complete each of their requests.

– Representation: Without an expert by your side, your insurer will have no reason to believe that you could and would challenge an unjust settlement. Hire a public adjuster to show that you are serious about your claim, and to assist with next steps if your claim is denied.

– Value: Lastly and most importantly, a public adjuster can recover a sum that truly helps you move forward. A study by the Office of Program and Policy Analysis & Government Accountability in the State of Florida showed that business and homeowner insurance settlements are 747% larger when a public adjuster is involved.

After a damaging event like the recent severe weather, a public adjuster is needed more than ever. Insurance companies are handling a high volume of insurance claims in a short period of time, often missing or overseeing important details. Many insurers aren’t even using their own adjusters to handle the workload! Instead, they hire third party providers who then hire 1099 Cat Adjusters. A public adjuster ensures you don’t get caught in this trap. If your property received damage from these storms, contact Claim Management Adjusters before filing a claim with your insurance company. All you have to do is complete our short form, and you will receive a quick response from one of our experts.

• Have your insurance claim assessed through Claim Management Adjusters, the Carolinas’ very most recognized public adjusting firm. Our comprehensive system of roof replacement, repair and water mitigation specialists will certainly at that point function to guarantee you are actually back up and keeping up as little recovery time as achievable.

  

  An adequately implemented damage control can easily assist with:

  • Interacting the reduction better to the estimator
  • Managing service provider disputes
  • Teaching the covered on the reduction incurred
  • Enhancing your internet earnings

  Added perks of a damage control:

  • Crystal clear, precise range
  • Leverage in the course of disagreements and modifications
  • A theme for potential work
  • Less jobsite brows through
  • Raised profits with muscling building supplement

  Why Hire a Public Adjuster?

  • Know-how: Insurance features a bunch of paperwork and small print. A public adjuster can easily help you know how your plan works, and can easily likewise lead you with the necessary actions to accomplish your insurance claim.
    Time: Managing your insurance claim can quickly become a permanent project. Your public adjuster will certainly spare you from hrs of information, assessment and correspondence, thus you can easily pay attention to restoring a feeling of normalcy.
    Speed: The combo of proficiency and supply creates a public adjuster extra equipped to accelerate the insurance claim submission method. Insurance firms speak their very own language, and if you don’t know it, you could discover yourself requiring pair of or even more tries to accomplish each of their requests.
    Representation: Without a specialist on your side, your insurance carrier will certainly have no explanation to believe that you might and would certainly test an unjustified settlement deal. Hire a public adjuster to show that you are actually severe regarding your insurance claim, and to help with next actions if your insurance claim is denied.
    Value: Lastly and very most significantly, a public adjuster can easily recuperate an amount that definitely assists you progress. A research study through the Office of Program and Policy Analysis & Government Accountability in the State of Florida showed that company and property owner insurance coverage negotiations are actually 747% bigger when a public adjuster is included.
    After a disastrous activity such as Hurricane Florence, a public adjuster is needed to have even more than ever before. A public adjuster ensures you don’t receive caught in this trap.

    
    After a disastrous activity such as Hurricane Florence, a public adjuster is needed to have even more than ever before. Insurance firms are actually handling a higher quantity of insurance coverage cases in a quick time frame of time, commonly overlooking or overseeing necessary details. Numerous insurance firms aren’t even using their very own insurers to deal with the workload! Instead, they hire third event companies who at that point hire 1099 Cat Adjusters. A public adjuster ensures you don’t receive caught in this trap.

  If your property received damage from Hurricane Florence, contact Claim Management Adjusters before filing a claim with your insurance company. All you have to do is complete our short form, and you will receive a quick response from one of our experts.

  Other Helpful Resources

  • American Red Cross Greater Carolinas Region
  • Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
  • NC Department of Insurance
  • SC Department of Insurance

Just like you we want people to keep their promises and keep things simple. We expect something we purchase to be delivered with dedication to best practices, our best interest and professional conduct. This is exactly what you can expect from us through our Xactimate estimation services! For the last decade, CMA has built a nationwide reputation for being the go-to public adjusting firm for fire and large loss estimates.

Our Xactimate estimating service will help you focus on growing your business and signing more deals versus spending too much time working those deals. Our team of Xactimate estimating professionals come from years of experience and a diversity of roles within the insurance restoration industry including insurance adjusting, construction, and restoration. Moreover, they have integrity and everything written into each Xactimate estimate will maximize every justifiable penny. We have the talent you need to get the job estimated quickly and accurately.

• Certified Xactimate professionals

  Insurers, loss adjusters, restoration and reconstruction contractors who use Xactimate to estimate repair costs achieve greater speed and accuracy in their claims-handling workflows.

• Affordable flat fee solution

  Hold tight to your bottom-line by keeping your fee fixed. Let us quote your work and keep it simple for you. Our clients absolutely love this about us!

• Easy process for quick turn-around

  Our hassle free process makes for a successful and quick turn-around. From the very first internal review and throughout the drafting process we build your custom preferences and deliver a better product time over time.

We’ve given CMA nearly 20 claims over the period of a few weeks following a catastrophic flood that hit our state. They push hard to get our estimates completed quickly so we can keep signing deals and helping people. And their fixed fee is perfect for our bottom-line.

Claim Management Adjusters (CMA), a full-service public adjusting firm committed to helping families and businesses recover from insurable property damage and loss, is expanding its nationwide services to include appraisals for restoration contractors.

“Having served restoration contractors and insureds for nearly a decade, we are confident in adding appraisals to our offerings,” said CMA’s Jeremy Walls. “We know we have the skills, network and processes to add value and get results.”

Established in 2009, CMA is well-versed in the claims and appraisal process. The new appraisal division provides contractors and third-party estimating and supplementing partners a seamless, scalable escalation process for:

• Roofing Claims
• Fire & Flood Claims
• Water Mitigation Claims

With affiliate appraisers located across the U.S., CMA is able to process appraisals at high volume, anywhere in the country—even during large-scale disasters.

When to Bring in an Insurance Appraiser

Oftentimes, an initial insurance claim offer is much lower than is needed to repair the damage. When this happens, the contractor or a third-party claim manager will dispute the offer on behalf of the policyholder and, ideally, reach a formidable settlement. However, in cases where the parties “agree to disagree,” the contractor or claim manager can choose to bring in an appraiser to calculate the amount of loss from a neutral perspective. This is especially helpful for contractors, who prefer to focus on growing their business and serving customers rather than negotiating with insurance companies.

How an Insurance Appraisal Works

An insurance appraisal is a form of alternative dispute resolution—much faster and far less costly than going to court. The appraisal process allows both parties (the insurer and the policyholder) to choose their own independent appraisers. The appraisers then agree on an “umpire” to act as the arbiter before conducting separate appraisals.

The umpire will not be involved if the appraisers can agree to a fair, binding settlement based on their itemized calculations. If they are not able to agree, the umpire is brought in, and the decision agreed to by two of the three parties will stand (again, legally binding).

Why a Public Adjuster Makes a Great Appraiser

As an experienced public adjusting firm, CMA is well-versed in documentation, evaluation, negotiation and other key aspects of insurance disputes. Our appraisers are trained and qualified to analyze, investigate and assess damage from fires, floods and other perils. We are here to support our fellow industry professionals and advocate for the consumers they serve.

Contact us for a free consultation.

If you were within miles of the Tennessee wildfire, or especially if your home or business encountered smoke from it, you might have soot hidden within your walls right now.

However, it’s so tiny that you may not see any traces of it. The good news is that a trained eye can find soot and establish if it’s in your walls.

How tiny are we talking? Soot is smaller than dust and mold, and is about 1/30 the diameter of a human hair! This combined with its toxic composition is what makes soot so dangerous.

CAN YOU SEE ANY SOOT IN THE ABOVE PHOTO?

In studying this photo for a moment you will resolve as most do – there’s no visible soot here. In fact the insurance adjuster handling this claim would agree with you. After a casual stroll through the restaurant, he didn’t find any either. However, after specialized testing, offered by one of our favorite tennessee public adjusters, Cornerstone Adjusters, soot was found in wall cavities throughout the entire 5000 sqft building.

Here are a few more facts about this true story:

The owner of this building filed a claim based on a single room fire that was contained to that room. Upon meeting the insurance company’s adjuster he was told the entire damage would be covered for around $40,000 or less. The owner and public adjuster asked the insurance adjuster for his opinion on soot and if it might be an issue worth considering. The adjuster replied, “I highly doubt there would be soot inside the building because I can’t see any evidence anywhere”.

Cornerstone knew this is what the insurance adjuster would say but wanted the owner to hear for himself. Following a simple but specialized test, administered by Cornerstone Adjusters, it was quickly found that soot was in fact all over the place – you just couldn’t see it.

Had the building owner accepted the first opinion by the insurance adjuster he would have missed the opportunity to turn his $40k into a $520k payout!

SEEM TOO HARD TO BELIEVE?

We agree with you but remarkably this is a very normal situation for many unsuspecting home and business owners serviced by often well-intending insurance adjusters who don’t understand the nature of soot. Thankfully, we do understand soot, and are very good at making insurance companies pay for its removal.

Find out if your walls have soot in them by first requesting your free onsite soot inspection. 

Fires can strike fierce and fast as is the case with the wildfire overtaking Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. With many only escaping with their lives and the clothes on their backs many people are left wondering where to turn to for help. Displaced residents, business owners and first responders are among those in most need of support.

After some digging we found these 4 notable resources:

1. WBIR-TV: An article listing shelters and restaurants providing food to first responders and displaced residents can be found here. These shelters offer a variety of resources ranging from clothing to food and water and other necessitates.
2. WBIR-TV: Another great article focused around a “how to help” section as well as listings of resources being deployed. You can find a lot of different ways people are helping and then follow those links if you want to be on receiving end.
3. Rocky Top Sports World: These guys have now become home to some 1000+ evacuees and The American Red Cross who is operating out of the complex as well. Visit their Facebook page for more information.
4. Helping Pets & Animals: There are several organizations offering free support for livestock and family pets. Here are a few: Douglas Lakeview Stables (contact Kristi 864-671-8439), The Barker Lounge, Pets Without Parents Shelter, Wildwood Farm (call 865-256-9589), Smoky Mountain K-9 Cottages (contact Marni 865-428-7311).

As the damage continues to be reevaluated it will become more clear what resources are needed. In addition to the groups and sites mentioned above we will be adding more blogs and top resources to this webpage.

Of special note, being consumer advocates we will also be providing free consultations on topics surrounding how to best navigate the insurance claim settlement process so don’t hesitate to contact us for a free consultation or check out the free onsite soot inspections we are providing to qualified home and business owners.

Why Hire a Public Adjuster to Manage Your Insurance Claim?

Shock, anxiety, depression, fear–property damage or loss evokes a world of emotions that can be difficult to overcome. That’s not to mention the utter disruption to your livelihood. 

Your insurance provider is there to help you, but they are not in the business of handing out money. They know that most property owners don’t have the time, patience or knowledge to scrutinize a settlement. That’s where a public adjuster comes in to handle the legwork for you and ensure that you receive adequate funds to recover from your loss.

The benefits of hiring a public adjuster are:

• Expertise: Insurance comes with a lot of paperwork and fine print. A public adjuster can help you understand how your policy works, and can also guide you through the necessary steps to complete your claim.
• Time: Managing your claim can easily become a full-time job. Your public adjuster will spare you from hours of correspondence, documentation and review, so you can focus on regaining any sense of normalcy possible.
• Pace: The combination of expertise and availability makes a public adjuster more equipped to expedite the claim filing process. Insurance companies speak their own language, and if you don’t understand it, you might find yourself needing two or more attempts to complete each of their requests.
• Representation: Without an expert by your side, your insurer will have no reason to believe that you could and would challenge an unjust settlement. Hire a public adjuster to show that you are serious about your claim, and to assist with next steps if your claim is denied.
• Value: Lastly and most importantly, a public adjuster can recover a sum that truly helps you move forward. A study by the Office of Program and Policy Analysis & Government Accountability in the State of Florida showed that business and homeowner insurance settlements are 747% larger when a public adjuster is involved.

The benefits of hiring a public adjuster really strengthens during a catastrophic event when the insurance companies are handling a high volume of insurance claims within a short time span.  

With such a high volume of claims many details are missed and oversights happen with nobody there to catch them. Often, insurance companies aren’t even using their own adjusters to handle the workload. Instead they hire 3rd party companies who then also hire 1099 Cat Adjusters to do the work. A public adjuster ensures you don’t get caught in this trap.

If your property has been damaged or destroyed by a fire, other peril, or catastrophic event, then you may want to consult a public adjuster. You can then assess some of the benefits of hiring a public adjuster first hand.

Here are 3 real examples for why you should consider hiring a public adjuster to handle your loss.

WILDFIRE WINDS + SOOT = DANGER

Smoke from burning homes, vehicles and other items, combined with strong winds is a very dangerous combination. Wind enables soot to travel for several miles away from the site of heavy flames. The force of these winds can even push soot directly into your wall cavities, never to be seen, but a health hazard nevertheless, similar to asbestos and mold. Your next step should be to have a professional consult you and see if you qualify for a free on-site soot inspection.

 

There’s a common saying among the restoration industry as it relates to structure fires,

Fire often causes less damage than the combination of the smoke it created and the water and chemicals used for extinguishing it.

What’s most alarming about this statement is that nowhere does it mention soot. Why? Well for the same reason nobody used to mentioned asbestos. It wasn’t known to be hazardous until all of a sudden people were becoming deathly ill and even dying because of it. Now asbestos is widely discussed by restoration companies and if found is assumed to be a covered loss by insurance companies. Just like asbestos, soot is also being covered by insurance companies for miles surrounding wildfires.

Soot is known to cause cancer and ruin a lot of property but what exactly is it and how do you know if soot has contaminated your home?

WHAT IS SOOT?

Soot as an airborne contaminant in the environment has many different sources, all of which are results of some form of pyrolysis (i.e. fire). Soot is a close friend to smoke and caused when three things come together: the item that is actually burning, oxygen and heat. In essence soot are tiny particles of matter left behind by smoke but are so small you don’t often see them.

A Health Hazard

Cancer is the leading cause of firefighter line-of-duty deaths in the United States, and according to the International Association of Firefighters, about 60 percent of career firefighters will die this way. This is in large part due to soot which travels with smoke and infiltrates everything.

According to the National Cancer Institute, “The fine black or brown powder that makes up soot may contain a number of carcinogens, including arsenic…”

Based on an article written by The Atlantic, “The problem is our stuff. Possessions make our lives cozy and convenient, but when they catch fire, they become noxious fuel. The cancer rates are being driven up, researchers believe, by chemicals that lace the smoke and soot inside burning buildings. Consumer goods are increasingly manufactured using synthetic materials, and fires are more toxic as a result.”

It Ruins Property

All surfaces can sustain damage within just hours of smoke contamination and the soot it leaves behind. Because of how tiny soot is there are many things which are affected by it. If not properly restored the items or structure will likely continue to deteriorate over time.

Items immediately affected:

• All porous surfaces
• Wooden floors
• Interior walls
• Paint
• Clothing

Now that you know soot is a cancer causing health hazard and can ruin almost anything it touches, your next step should be figuring out if your home or business was contaminated by first contacting a professional to see if you qualify for an on-site soot inspection.

Remember, if left alone soot becomes a health hazard similar to asbestos and continues to ruin property. Insurance companies are being forced to repair these issues but won’t just pay without proof or pressure.

Here’s a story about one business who didn’t know they had hidden soot contamination and what they did about it.