When working on a water damage claim either with or without any environmental impairment, an adjuster often considers reports from inspection companies as well as good faith estimates from restoration contractors. In some cases, the damages are clear and the costs are usual and customary. In other cases the damages are extensive, and the claim is complicated and contentious. Securing a second opinion may be just what the adjuster needs to bring clarity to the claim and to be confident that the value of the claim is justified.
All reports should speak to cause and origin — is this peril covered? — and provide photographic documentation of property damages. If infrared thermography is utilized, then the images should be included in the report when water anomalies have been identified and verified. The more documentation exists, the better — provided that it is written in a concise manner so as to be readily understood.
If environmental testing has been conducted, then who has determined if the levels listed on the laboratory reports are actually elevated? In short, what are the standards for both restoration and inspections? Are the contractors hired by either the adjuster or the insured actually applying these guidelines?
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