Disaster Specialists is here to see that you reclaim your loss and rebuild your home or business as smoothly and quickly as possible.
We work for you, the property owner, and with the insurance company and/or adjuster. Disaster Specialists is a preferred vendor for many insurance carriers. We can help you throughout the claims process and will often bill the insurance company directly.
Basic Insurance Terms
- ACV (Actual Cash Value): Actual cash value for personal property is determined by taking the purchase price and depreciating it for age.
- Adjuster (a.k.a. Claims or Insurance Adjuster): Someone who investigates claims and/or damages, assess the value of the loss, and determines to what extend the loss is covered under the insurance policy.
- ALE (Additional Living Expense): Compensation for the expenses incurred because of the loss. Compensation may be paid for hotel rooms, food, rent, etc.
- Company Adjuster: A claims adjuster who is a paid employee of the insurance company.
- Deductible: Typically, a clause in an insurance policy that stipulates the owner’s initial amount of financial liability for the claim or loss.
- Depreciation: The decrease in value of property or contents due to age/use.
- Independent Adjuster: A claims adjuster who typically contracts with several insurance company’s and is available as needed, to represent the insurance provider in assessing damage and coverage.
- Ordinance Coverage: A type of coverage that insures against extra costs incurred due to changes in the building code.
- Pack Out: Following a large loss, the removal of contents to another location for storage.
- Public Adjuster: A third party claims adjuster, hired by the owner, to evaluate the loss for presentation to the insurance provider.
- RCV (Replacement cost Value): The amount of money the insurance company will pay to replace the home or contents as long as they are, in fact, replaced. In other words, what the item would cost today if they were replaced, not the price of the items when they were purchased.