What Does a Claims Adjuster Do?

Posted in Auto Insurance , Auto Insurance Claims

January 30th, 2009

That car crash you were in rendered your car beyond repair. Luckily your bumps, bruises and breaks werent life threatening. After the collision, you checked how your passengers were doing, called the authorities and took excellent notes. You diligently provided your list to your insurance company and then were told that the claims adjuster would contact you for further information. It’s a good idea for you to know what a claims adjuster does, and how you will have to deal with them.

A claims adjuster is the person who will investigate your claim to the insurance company. They will interview you, other witnesses, speak to the police officer who reported to the scene of the accident, look at the damage to your vehicle and contact the hospital about your medical condition. It is the claims adjuster’s job to determine and settle on how much the insurance company will pay you for your claim.

As a person involved in an accident, it is important to know that the claims adjuster’s job is to save their company money by limiting the amount of money they pay you for the accident. Claims adjusters know how to properly fill out the stacks of paperwork needed for you to secure any type of payment at all.

Claims adjustors can work in a variety of ways. They can be staff adjusters employed by the insurance company, independent contractors or public adjusters available for hire. No matter whom they work for, it is the adjuster’s job to thoroughly investigate an insurance claim to determine who was at fault and that no one is falsifying their claim.

A claims adjuster is the person who will work hardest to prove or disprove the value of your claim. They are typically employed by property (including auto) and casualty insurance companies. Ultimately, they will be negotiating the payment settlement between you and your insurance company.