My opine is not as good as the experts; but I think a monster hurricane will hit Texas or Florida with in the next 50 days.

All new and old adjusters try not to be cheated by the known and not surfaced vendors and subs of venders and the subs of the subs. Ask more questions. Keep a copy of ever file that you submitted for payment on PAPER with the date the computer printed it out.

This file is your evidence you did the work . Make the vendor sign a release allowing you to contact the carrier direct, JUST TO VERIFY the file turned in and paid was your work ALONE. (The carrier will comply with your request, if you use the carriers claim number)This will put a damper on this practice. Any reasonable person can use black ink on the paper file not to disclose private information. Get all the address, contact people, structure of the vendor BEFORE you go. I would even require my first assignments by the net before leaving town.

If you do not stand up now, do not whine in 2008.

** Old adjusters get screwed also, do not join that crowd.

I!

What's all the fuss about FL Citizens anyway?  There's few hundred OTHER carriers who write in Florida that pay better and have file requirements made by Adjusters who know how to close claims versus the auditors and bean counters that can't see the forest for the trees.

How about a forum dedicated to guiding adjusters toward these carriers and the vendors that service them?  Let's face it, while FL Citizens may be the largest vendor out there, there will be plenty of reward for those individuals who concentrate on finding the sweet spots in Sunny FL- should the big one hit there...

I am a Staff Adjuster with Citizens and I have not heard anything about "Dumping files" after a storm.

In response to the original post by Ray H.  Wouldn't working for vendors that pay before the carrier pays and within or on the very next pay period (whether it be monthly or weekly) be a key solution to this problem? 

Turn files in gradually as you go and avoid sandbagging.  This curbs management headaches and gives you a chance to find out vendor practices and expectations before you have to correct a hundred files that are all wrong.  Or, before you find out that someone is rewriting your claims.  This practice occurs seldom, but it does happen and everyone hears about it.

I am all for getting your files before leaving town, but some carriers require that the vendors ante up with adjusters first before handing out the files.  Vendors and Carriers are just as concerned about adjusters as some adjusters are about Vendors and Carriers.

Maybe this was the requirement of the adjusting firm that I attended the Citizens storm orientation class. I was only passing on what I was told.  This is under the heading of KNOW BEFORE YOu GO.

Pilot and probably several others give you copy of the fee bill when the file has been approved. If all vendors did this you would probably not be cheated. Let me stop at this point and say this. I have seen a lot of files and I do not think SOME people who are trying to be catastrophe adjusters are turning in paper work that is a COMPLETE-PASSABLE FILE and sadly do not know the differance.

Dumping all your files has nothing to do with YOUR evidence if you PRINT it on the day it was turned in. IF I was looking at evidence I would require a chronological flow.

I know some adjusters who can do the job are being cheated as I have been flim flamed. It seems most of the post on this subject is from new people who PUT THEMSELVES in this position. Why not limit your deployment to only the vendors who can pay bi-monthly on turned in files or some one you have worked for BEFORE and paid you ever penny.

Many vendors pry on the inexperienced adjusters with just a license knowing they will flounder and take the paper notes and the photos after 2 or 3 weeks of trying to turn in good files. This material can then be reworked with out an inspection and with a phone call.  A passable file turned in and the poor mullet who did the first contact is left out.

Many a flood file is closed with FCN 's that were never in the same state and thousands of miles away.