What Most Homeowners Get Wrong About Insurance Claims (and How to Fix It Fast)

Rome Public Adjusting
Nov 25, 2025
2 min read

A short guide from Fr. David Burrows Georgia Licensed Public Adjuster #3823787

A tree falls on your roof. A pipe bursts. Hail the size of golf balls shreds your shingles. In that moment the insurance company becomes your only lifeline… or so it seems.

Most people assume their insurance adjuster works for them. The truth is gentler and harder at the same time: the company adjuster works for the insurance company. Their job is to close your claim as quickly and inexpensively as possible. That is not evil; it is simply their duty.

But you have another option the policy itself gives you: you are allowed to hire your own licensed professional advocate — a Public Adjuster — who works exclusively for you, owes you a fiduciary duty, and is paid only if you recover more money.

Here are the four most common (and costly) mistakes I see every week — and the simple Orthodox principle that fixes each one.

Accepting the first offer too quickly Principle: “Let everything be established by two or three witnesses” (2 Cor. 13:1) The first offer is almost never the final story. A thorough second inspection with Xactimate estimating and a line-by-line policy review almost always finds missed damage and overlooked coverages.
Not documenting everything Principle: “Provide things honest in the sight of all men” (Rom. 12:17) Photos, videos, receipts, contractor estimates, texts with the adjuster — every detail matters. We build an unassailable paper (and digital) trail so nothing is left to memory or chance.
Handling the claim alone while grieving or displaced Principle: “Bear one another’s burdens” (Gal. 6:2) You should not have to learn insurance jargon while living in a hotel or cleaning up mold. That is why St. Nicholas tossed gold through windows at night — so the family could sleep. We do the same: we take the burden off your shoulders.
Forgetting that time limits are real Principle: “Redeeming the time” (Eph. 5:16) Georgia policies often have one- or two-year suit limitations. Waiting too long can forfeit coverage you already paid for.