Recently, Bulldog Adjusters became a sponsor of Roofing Insights
So we’re going to give you a complete bulldog adjusters company tour!
The Plantation, Florida-based public adjusting company has been in business for twelve years and currently has a 4.6-star customer satisfaction rating based on over 200 Google reviews.
After partnering with Virtual PA, a company that specializes in analyzing homeowner claims online, the Bulldog Adjusters’ claims specialists are now available in over 43 states.
“Bulldog Adjusters still processes all the claims,”
says Vince Lefton, owner of Bulldog Adjusters, in explaining his company’s role in the partnership with Virtual PA.
“But the Virtual PA is the new concept that we are running for the whole national brand.”
Lefton adds that by joining forces with Virtual PA, Bulldog Adjusters is now available to offer their exemplary services to homeowners who previously could not work with his company.
“We now do everything virtually. It’s not the same public adjusting model as most people understand it. And all 43 states that we are in, our affiliates are licensed,”
says Lefton.
This growth is a huge step in the right direction for Bulldog Adjusters, a company who pride themselves on alleviating homeowners’ angst by taking care of all things related to their insurance claims.
“We handle the entire mortgage process,”
Lefton says.
“We have figured out that letting homeowners handle that part slows down us getting paid, so we put together a team to work on that process.”
That process that Lefton mentions can take two to three months to come to fruition, but Bulldog Adjusters is well-equipped to ensure homeowners ultimately get the settlement they deserve.
“If you know the process, it helps a lot,”
explains Lefton in sharing how his company’s experience is what makes them stand out in such a highly competitive industry.
“It can be a lengthy process depending on the mortgage status, especially if someone is behind on payments or has a reverse mortgage. There are small details that may change how the process is handled.”
This is why Lefton emphasizes the importance of the role his company plays in the insurance claims process, noting how that in some cases when the homeowner is trying to deal with their insurance company directly, it can result in the homeowner not getting compensated in a timely manner.
“Ultimately, if a homeowner handles their claim, it’s going to be like pulling teeth because we don’t get paid until the client gets paid,”
Lefton acknowledges.
Fortunately, once a homeowner begins working with Bulldog Adjusters, the processing of their claim then becomes seamless.
“My processors handle all the checks. They call mortgage companies, homeowners and everything like that,”
Lefton explains.
Based off the sheer number of claims his firm is currently handling, it should come as no surprise that Bulldog Adjusters makes this part of the claims process painless for homeowners.
When asked how many claims his company is currently handling, Lefton reveals that the number of open claims nationwide is over 1,600, a number that Lefton says his company can handle because of how efficient their process is.
In that sense, the partnership between Bulldog Adjusters and Virtual PA appears to be moving along just nicely, but Lefton is quick to mention that this is only because of the streamlined systems that have been put in place.
“Being able to build out Virtual PA happened because we built out the process,”
Lefton remarks.
Additionally, Lefton says that it was also important to expand his process and company because the market trends in Florida were limiting the impact his services could have and the customers he could reach.
“The PA market outside of Florida isn’t so much a value market. It deals more with large losses, complicated losses, and commercial projects,”
says Lefton.
“But here in Florida we have a lot of daily work with water damage claims and kitchens.”
While this expansion has certainly been a financial win for Lefton, Bulldog Adjusters is now also helping out in areas of the country that otherwise would still be struggling.
This is particularly noticeable in Texas, a state that has been dealing with water mitigation issues.
“That’s been a cluster because a lot of those guys don’t know how to handle the damage. They are roofers, contractors, and disaster guys. They have never done a water damage claim in their life,”
explains Lefton.
Another aspect that should be considered when it comes to determining how well a public adjusting company handles claims is their follow-up process.
Lefton says his team does a great job on the follow-up of claims because they are making contact with the necessary parties every day.
Explains Lefton:
“If a brand-new claim comes in, it gets filed the same day. From there it goes to scheduling an adjuster to go out there. Once scheduling is done, we are sending in the report and once the inspection happens, we start following up.”
“If it is someone we need to continuously push, we chase until we get a decision. Once the decision happens, it will then go to mediation or get settled.”
It is that type of dedication that helps explain why Bulldog Adjusters appears primed for continued success in the coming years, and also why they are the busiest public adjusting firm in Florida.
“Between Florida and Texas, we are probably the busiest, but we get claims all over. We get a lot out of Missouri, the Carolinas, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona. In Minnesota we receive a decent volume, but nothing crazy,”
shares Lefton.
But there are a few parts of the country that Bulldog Adjusters does not operate in, including Illinois, a state that allows contractors to also serve as public adjusters on their own jobs.
“It’s a problem,”
Lefton says of this bylaw.
“It gets cloudy because who is the contractor helping? Is he doing it for himself or the property owner?”
Still, regardless of the laws, Lefton says that public adjusting at Bulldog Adjusters has been, and always will be, about ensuring customers are properly taken care of when their homes have damage.
“People have rights. A lot of people don’t even know what their policy covers. They think their policy is for when a tornado comes or when a hurricane knocks their house down, but again they don’t know what they are covered for or how much they are covered for,”
Lefton says, adding how that can be problematic when dealing with insurance companies.
“It’s an unfair battle [insurance claim disputes]. You are dealing with billion-dollar insurance companies,”
says Lefton.
Homeowners: don’t let insurance companies take advantage of you the next time your home is damaged.
If you want to hire a public adjuster for your next home insurance claim, contact the team at Bulldog Adjusters and let them put your mind at ease!
