Quick answer
Can Claims Answer Man give advice about my own insurance claim?
No. Claims Answer Man is an education program. It is not a law firm, public adjuster, insurance company, insurance agency or contractor, and it does not review individual claims. For advice about your own situation, talk to an attorney licensed in your state, a licensed public adjuster where your state allows them, or your state insurance department.
On this page
General education only
Everything Claims Answer Man publishes is general education about how homeowners insurance claims usually work. That includes our free guides, the free claim checklist, the online course, worksheets, emails and videos.
None of it is legal, insurance, adjusting, financial, tax, engineering or construction advice. None of it is advice about your claim, your policy or your home. We explain how the process works so you can take part in your own claim with more confidence and ask better questions.
What we are not
- Not a law firm. No lawyer reviews your situation, and nothing here is legal advice.
- Not a public adjuster. We do not represent you, prepare your claim or negotiate with your insurer.
- Not an insurance company or agency. We do not sell insurance and cannot change your coverage or pay claims.
- Not a contractor. We do not inspect homes, write repair estimates or do repairs.
- Not a government agency. We are not FEMA, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or any state insurance department, and we do not speak for them.
No attorney-client or adjuster relationship
Reading this website, signing up for emails, sending us a message or buying the course does not make you our client. It does not create an attorney-client relationship, a public adjuster relationship or any other professional relationship.
That also means messages you send us are not confidential or legally protected the way a conversation with your own attorney is. Please do not send us your policy, estimate, denial letter or other claim documents expecting a review. We will not contact your insurance company or anyone else about your claim.
John Dwayne’s role
Claims Answer Man was created by John Dwayne, an NFIP Certified Adjuster and retired FEMA Housing Inspector. He also went through a long homeowners insurance claim of his own after severe winter storm damage. That claim was with Travelers Insurance, and Vertex Engineering was the engineering firm involved. You can read more about John and why he built the course.
John’s own claim is shared as personal experience. It is not a statement about how either company handles anyone else’s claim. In Claims Answer Man, John is a teacher. He is not acting as your adjuster, your inspector or a representative of FEMA, the NFIP or any insurer.
Your policy and your state decide
Homeowners policies are not all the same. Coverage, exclusions, deductibles and deadlines depend on your policy form, any endorsements (add-ons) you bought, and your state’s laws. Flood claims under the NFIP follow federal rules that differ from a regular homeowners policy, which our flood claim guide explains.
When we give examples, they are simple illustrations of how something commonly works. Always check your own policy, starting with your declarations page, and your state insurance department’s guidance before you act.
No promised results
We do not promise or guarantee any payment, settlement amount, timeline or outcome. Two homeowners can follow the same steps and get different results because their policies, insurers, states and damage are different. Learning how a claim works can help you stay organized and spot problems early. It cannot control what your insurer decides.
When to talk to a licensed professional
Education is a good start, and some situations call for someone licensed to act on your behalf. You may want professional help if:
- your claim was denied and you believe the decision is wrong, especially if a deadline is close;
- you are asked to sign a release, a settlement agreement or a contract you do not fully understand;
- an engineer’s report and your own contractor disagree about what caused the damage;
- your home is a total loss or the claim is very large; or
- you feel out of your depth and the stress is affecting your decisions.
Depending on the problem, that could be an attorney licensed in your state, a licensed public adjuster (most states license public adjusters, but the rules differ by state and not every state licenses them, so check with your state insurance department before you sign), a licensed engineer or a licensed contractor. Your state insurance department also helps consumers for free and takes complaints. You can find yours on our state-by-state claim help page.
Honest claims only
Never exaggerate, invent or misrepresent damage or losses, and never sign a document you know is untrue. Insurance fraud can be prosecuted as a crime. Many homeowners policies also say that hiding or misstating an important fact on purpose can cost you your coverage. The course teaches accurate, honest documentation: clear photos, true dates and real receipts.
Names of companies and products
When we mention an insurance company, engineering firm, software product or other business, it is only to identify it or to describe a real experience. A mention is not an endorsement or a criticism of how that company treats other customers. We are not affiliated with any insurer. Trademarks belong to their owners.
Homeowner stories and reviews
We do not publish reviews, ratings or testimonials yet. If we add homeowner stories or reviews later, they will come from real people who gave permission, and we will not edit them to change their meaning. One homeowner’s experience is not a prediction of your result, because every policy, insurer, state and loss is different.
Accuracy and dates
We check facts against official sources, such as FEMA, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and state insurance departments, and we list those sources on our guides. Rules and practices still change. Check the date on a page, and confirm anything important with your insurer, your policy or your state before you rely on it. If you spot an error, please tell us through our contact page so we can fix it.
Links to other websites
We link to government agencies, consumer organizations and other sites because they help homeowners. We do not control them and are not responsible for their content or for changes they make after we link to them.
Our connection to Homeowners Insurance Exposed
Claims Answer Man is the homeowner education program of Homeowners Insurance Exposed, which publishes industry news, homeowner stories and a podcast in its own voice. Views shared there, including by guests and homeowners, belong to the people sharing them and are not claim advice from Claims Answer Man.
Questions about this disclaimer
Ask us through our contact page if any part of this page is unclear. We cannot answer questions about your own claim, but our free guide on how to file a homeowners insurance claim is a good place to start. The full rules for using the site are in our Terms of Use, linked at the bottom of every page.
Common questions about the disclaimer
If I take the course, is John Dwayne my adjuster?
No. In Claims Answer Man, John is a teacher. He is not your adjuster, your inspector or your representative, and he does not contact your insurer for you. His background as an NFIP Certified Adjuster and retired FEMA Housing Inspector, and his own long claim, shape what the course teaches. The decisions on your claim stay with you.
What should I do if a Claims Answer Man guide and my policy say different things?
Go by your policy. Our guides describe how claims commonly work, but your policy wording, any endorsements and your state’s rules control your claim. Read the part of the policy that applies, starting with your declarations page, and ask your insurer to point you to the exact policy language in writing. If the difference matters, an attorney licensed in your state or your state insurance department can help.
Is Claims Answer Man connected to FEMA or to my insurance company?
No. Claims Answer Man is an independent education program of Homeowners Insurance Exposed. It is not part of FEMA, the National Flood Insurance Program, any state insurance department or any insurance company. John’s FEMA and NFIP background is past professional experience, and he does not speak for those agencies.
Does Claims Answer Man recommend or endorse any insurance company, engineer or contractor?
No. When we mention an insurer, engineering firm, software product or other business, it is only to identify it or to describe a real experience, such as the insurer and engineering firm in John’s own claim. A mention is not an endorsement, and it is not a criticism of how that company treats other customers. We are not affiliated with any insurer.
Why are there no homeowner reviews or testimonials on Claims Answer Man?
Because we do not have real ones to show yet, and we will not invent them. If we add homeowner stories or reviews later, they will come from real people who gave permission, and we will not edit them to change their meaning. Even then, one homeowner’s experience is not a prediction of your result, because every policy, insurer, state and loss is different.
Sources
Educational content only. Not legal, insurance or financial advice.