"The level of experience and expertise which your company brought to the table on my behalf was a pleasure to witness. Your handling of my claim produced a much greater return than I ever anticipated. I will recommend you always."
Dr. Peter D. Liane, President
Florida Optometric Association
After a loss, what steps should I take?
Who is The Howarth Group, (THG)?
So what is the Appraisal process?
Why do I need THG's help to handle my claim?
Can you help me with the Personal Property while I wait for the building estimate?
Why do I need THG to obtain what is rightfully due me?
Is THG connected with insurance companies?
What is The Difference Between A Public Adjuster and The Insurance Company's Adjuster?
What makes THG different from other "public adjusters"?
What is the extent of THG's responsibility?
How does THG determine the actual loss?
Is Mr. Howarth a trained specialist?
Do I Have To Pay You Up Front?
How much does THG charge for their services?
Can't My Agent Make Sure That I Get A Fair Settlement?
Does THG sell insurance or act as an insurance agent?
Does THG handle claims other than fire losses?
Should I use the contractor the adjuster brought out?
After a loss, what steps should I take?
We have a page on this site entitled "What to do After a Loss" that is dedicated to just this question. In brief, immediately report the loss to your agent or broker — or directly to your insurance company — and quickly contact us here at The Howarth Group for some very helpful guidance. Again, there is no charge for the initial assistance and hopefully you will experience a speedy recovery with little problem or delay. We recommend most of the time that you let the insurance company adjuster do his/her job and wait to see if you even need to hire someone like THG. Some business claims however require immediate attention so that initial decisions are made with coverage and benefits in mind. Please get us in the conversation loop right away. Contact one of our insurance adjusters today!
Who is The Howarth Group (THG)?
We are a team of specialists that assist you, the policyholder, through the process of evaluating, detailing, documenting, preparing, and working through a property insurance claim. Something we have enjoyed doing for more than thirty (30) years. We are licensed Kentucky and Tennessee Public Adjusters who serve as an advocate for you through the claim process. We also serve as impartial appraisers in claim situations where the insurance Appraisal process has been invoked. View our appraisal section
So what is the Appraisal process?
Appraisal is a dispute resolution process in your policy that is designed as a remedy when the policyholder and the insurance company fail to agree about the amount of the loss. For more information click to go to our insurance appraisal section.
Why do I need THG's help to handle my claim?
Truth is – you may not. Let your insurance adjuster complete his job and send you a copy of his detailed estimate of the damage. It has been our experience that about a third of the time they will provide a decent estimate. We will want to review your policy and inspect the loss site with the estimate from your insurance company in order to decide if you even need our help. We will give you this "second opinion" at no cost to you. At that time we can discuss our involvement as either your public adjuster in the claim or possibly as your impartial appraiser... or maybe you won't need our help at all. Please don't feel the least bit hesitant to insist on all of the benefits that you have purchased in your policy now that you and your family need them.
Can I prepare my own claim?
Yes, of course you can. And as you get started call our office and speak to one of our experienced adjusters to get some helpful insight. We gladly provide ideas and guidance almost daily to anyone who has suffered a loss and calls in - at no charge. Also, some of our clients decide to involve us for only one portion of their claim such as the personal property inventory work and to handle the other parts on their own.
Can you help me with the Personal Property while I wait for the building estimate?
Yes, many folks ask us to do just this. This job is always a daunting task, particularly during a very difficult time in your life. Putting together a thorough inventory takes time and careful attention to detail is extremely important to the outcome of this portion of your claim. You will only be paid on what you list so a physical inventory of every little thing with hundreds of photos as back-up must be completed. If you aren't prepared to list every paper clip, toothbrush, coaster etc... then you might want to consider letting our inventory specialists handle this for you. The sooner you get started on this chore the better, as things too often begin disappearing from the site.
Why do I need THG to obtain what is rightfully due me?
When it becomes clear that you need help in your claim – an experienced Tennessee or Kentucky Public Adjuster on your side will help to level the playing field. Much is at stake in this claim, the insurance company has experience on their side and all the experts so far involved in your claim work specifically for them. In a perfect world, you shouldn't have to hire anyone to get what you are entitled to from your insurance company. In the real world however, expert help often can make a big difference in your outcome. Your case is unique and we will be able to advise you only after a review of your claim. We do not charge for this review and there is no obligation for you to involve us afterward. Time is important though. Let us take a look at things as soon as possible.
Is THG connected with insurance companies?
No. We only work for policyholders, individuals and businesses. We are not employed by insurance companies.
What is The Difference Between A Public Adjuster and The Insurance Company's Adjuster?
The Public Adjuster is employed by you, and their total responsibility and duty is to you. The insurance company's adjuster is employed by the insurance company, and their responsibility and duty is to their employer. That doesn't make them a bad person, in fact most of the adjusters are pretty nice people, but they have a job to do just like everyone else. At the end of the day it is practically impossible for any insurance adjuster, no matter how hard he or she may try, to represent both your interests and the interests of their employer at the same time. This is a clearly recognized "conflict of interest."
What makes THG different from other "public adjusters"?
First, and most important, we recommend you let your adjuster do his job before you think about hiring help. You won't hear that from any other Public Adjusting firms. Also, our fee structures are unique and vary depending on the claim situation. We are also able to offer a variety of methods for resolving your claim, unlike most other "public adjusters." We sometimes recommend the normal Public Adjusting process but arrange a fee that is contingent upon our success – meaning we only charge a fee on the additional settlement dollars that we are able to obtain through our efforts and not on any original offered amounts. Furthermore, we also sometimes recommend the Appraisal provision of the policy be invoked and our fee for this process is an hourly fee. Most other Public Adjusting firms are not familiar with, and do not utilize, the sometimes very effective tool of the Appraisal process for resolving claims.
Who Uses The Services of THG?
Our services over the years have been utilized by people from all walks of life including individuals, all types of businesses and professions, including banks, accountants, attorneys, and even insurance agents and adjusters on their own losses.
What is the extent of THG's responsibility?
As your Kentucky or Tennessee Public Adjuster we will assist you with every aspect of your claim from the building damage estimate; the inventory preparation; your claim for Loss of Use; the Business Interruption calculations; your Extra Expense schedule preparation; and anything else that may apply. Your policy will have extra benefits that are a bit hidden deep inside with many extensions of coverage and additional coverages. We know about these "extras" and where to look for them. You paid for them and some will apply to your loss. We will help you obtain all of the benefits which you are entitled to. Rest assured, we will not ask your insurance company to pay for anything that you are not entitled to, however we will push very hard for every little piece of coverage that might be available now that you need it.
How does THG determine the actual loss?
We will personally inspect the loss site, prepare the structural estimates, physically inventory and document all contents, price every item and calculate depreciation, create the business interruption schedules for business claims and complete all pertinent appraisals that are required to properly measure and document your loss. Some losses are a little more complicated and to properly document will require us to involve outside experts such as a Structural Engineer, Microbiologist, Industrial Hygienist, Remediation Specialist, etc. We will make sure the expert opinions that are needed are obtained. Making sure that your actual loss is properly evaluated is a very important piece of our job. We often find a lot more damage than initially appears on the surface; damage that will cause problems down the road if not taken care of while the claim is open.
Does THG provide legal help?
No. We are not lawyers and do not provide legal advice. We have however over the years worked closely with a lot of good law firms throughout the Southeast and can quickly obtain a legal opinion about a matter if one is needed. Most property insurance claims however do not need to go through a legal process in order to be resolved fairly and properly.
Is Mr. Howarth a trained specialist?
Yes. Mr. Howarth has been qualified as an "expert" and testified in numerous courts on dozens of occasions, including Federal courts in multiple states. He is an active member of NAPIA, (the National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters), and Mr. Howarth has served on the Board of Directors of that organization. He is a past President of the Tennessee Association of Public Insurance Adjusters as well as a past President of the Florida Association of Public Insurance Adjusters. Mr. Howarth has achieved the designation of CPCU (Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriter) through the Insurance Institute of America. He is also a Rule-31 Supreme Court Approved Mediator in the state of TN. He has over 30 years of claim adjusting experience, the first 8 of which was on the insurance company side of the business.
Do I Have To Pay You Up Front?
No. Public Adjusters are not paid until money is collected from the insurance company. In fact, we spend our own money and time helping to document, prepare and process your claim to a close before we are paid anything.
How much does THG charge for their services?
We charge on both an hourly basis and on a percentage basis, depending on the claim. One of the two will apply best to your situation. We try to set up our fee so that we only get paid based upon our performance. In some situations this is not possible but we try to arrange our compensation in such a way that if we are not able to obtain any additional settlement for you then you owe us nothing at all. THG only gets paid when the insurance company settles with the insured so as to avoid any additional financial burden for the insured who is already under enough financial stress from the loss. We can be more specific once we better understand the nature of your claim and read through your policy.
Can't My Agent Make Sure That I Get A Fair Settlement?
Your agent's expertise is in marketing insurance policies, not in the adjusting of insurance claims. There is a big difference between the two. In fact, most insurance companies direct their agents to stay out of the claim adjustment process. Many people are surprised to learn that most agents are paid an annual bonus if their claims are kept to a minimum, known in the industry as the profit/loss ratio bonus. This naturally creates an undisclosed conflict of interest as your agent may have a personal financial interest in the outcome of your claim.
Does THG sell insurance or act as an insurance agent?
No! We do not sell insurance or market insurance policies. We are adjusters and only get involved in the claim settlement process. We handle only first party property damage insurance claims.
Does THG handle claims other than fire losses?
Yes. We have assisted clients throughout the Southeast with their hurricane losses in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and the Virgin Islands. We have handled hundreds of tornado losses as well in Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama and neighboring states. A very cold winter also keeps us busy dealing with the numerous claims due to frozen pipes. We have helped businesses and people through just about every kind of property damage loss that you can imagine.
Should I use the contractor the adjuster brought out?
Maybe – but - absolutely never even consider this until after you have been given a written copy of their estimate of the damage. You will learn much about this contractor and his care for your interests from looking through his estimate of the loss. Don't ever consider hiring any contractor based upon a verbal review of their plans or assurances by the adjuster that everything will be fine. For all intents and purposes they work for the insurance companies and as a result are often more interested in keeping them happy than you.
