Two independent claims adjusters in the Southeast have teamed up to create what they say is a quick, low-cost way for property owners to double-check insurance carriers’ damage estimates on claims.
They’re calling it “CarFax for property insurance claims,” referring to the site that checks for accident reports on vehicles. InsuranceClaim123.com, as it’s known, is a tool that could potentially have an impact on the way insurance carriers, lawyers and public adjusters do business.
The system uses a bit of artificial intelligence along with building-permit and other records, photographs and adjusters’ intuition to find possible oversights by insurance company adjusters, including missed property damage, inaccurate material prices, and cases in which insurers offer to pay only repair costs instead of full replacement value.
“We think homeowners can use this to negotiate with the carrier on the final amount,” said Ben Mandell, a former homebuilder and an independent adjuster since 2017. He has worked with fellow independent adjuster Mark Vinson to develop the InsuranceClaim123 system over the past year. Vinson, a computer science major in college, developed the website.
With the website, homeowners can alleviate that “gnawing feeling” that they’re not being fully paid for legitimate claims, Mandell said.
They say it works like this: Homeowners can upload their insurance company build-back estimates to the website. Within three to five business days, the site will provide a report, flagging items that Mandell and Vinson say probably should have been covered. Or it can confirm when a carrier’s report appears to be accurate.
The cost is $295 per report – a better deal than what a public adjuster or lawyer would charge to contest or litigate a claim.
As an example, Mandell provided a redacted report on a damage estimate from a major national carrier after a tree fell on a home. The insurer offered to repair a relatively small section of the roof and roof decking, plus 15 feet of fascia board and downspout—but not gutters.
The InsuranceClaim123 report contends that tree impacts “typically deform fascia, gutters, hangers, and downspouts together.” An attic inspection should also be done to check for damage to rafters and trusses. The insurer’s estimate of the number of new roof shingles needed did not jibe with the amount of plywood decking needed. New vinyl siding can’t easily be matched to old, and a larger section should be replaced, the report notes.
The scope of roof decking that needs replacing also suggests a larger amount of interior damage, and a full replacement of ceiling drywall may be needed in at least one room. The insurer should cover the cost of more insulation and paint, the report said.