ABA Family Legal Guide

Home Ownership

Property Insurance and Other Protections

Homeowner's Insurance

What can you do if you have a problem with your insurance company?

If you're dissatisfied with the way your adjuster handles your claim, first talk to your agent. If that doesn't help, call the company's consumer affairs department. Then try the National Insurance Consumer Helpline , which might be able to suggest a course of action. Finally, you could call your state's insurance department to complain and ask for help.

If these approaches do not bring a satisfactory settlement, consider hiring your own independent adjuster for an independent appraisal of your damage. You'll have to pay a fee of 10 to 15 percent of your final settlement. Check with your state insurance department, though, to find out whether public adjusters have to be licensed in your state.

Another option may be arbitration of the dispute with your insurance carrier. If both parties agree to arbitration, or if it is required by your contract with the insurance company, an independent arbitrator (perhaps selected by the lawyers for both sides) will hear the arguments and decide what compensation you're entitled to. For disputes involving just a few thousand dollars, it's probably cheaper to present your own case in small-claims court.