An insurance adjuster is a person who is responsible for handling claims. They investigate, review and process claims for insurance companies or individuals. Their work acts as a bridge between claimants and insurers in communication and negotiation.
The main work place of insurance adjusters is insurance companies, agencies and other institutions that have close ties with insurance. For example, in the event of a natural disaster, when there are not enough claims adjusters, the insurance company will bring in another insurance adjuster to work for them to assess the insured's damaged home.
Their duties include determining whether the policy applies to the claim, investigating the validity of the claim, assessing the extent of the loss, and negotiating and settling with the claimant on behalf of the insurance company. Investigating the validity of the claim is to prevent the influence of fraud gangs to intentionally damage the claim in order to obtain money, so as not to expose their own companies to liability that they should not bear. Sometimes they also need to talk to lawyers, doctors and other professionals because some knowledge will help them make better and more accurate judgments, especially in complex cases.
For example, if your vehicle is hit by another driver so badly that you can no longer drive, you can tow it to a garage. The insurance adjuster will first examine your car from all sides and give a diagnosis to see if it can be repaired or scrapped. They also look at police reports from the scene of the accident, as well as photos of the car taken at the scene. If the situation is more serious and someone is injured, they may also review the medical documentation and diagnosis, which is why they need to talk to the doctor.
Insurance adjusters usually need to interview claimants to understand the accident and record relevant information. They then estimate the cost of the repair and eventually work with the car technician to estimate the cost of the repair. Finally, they submit a report to the claims officer, who reviews the claim for non-compliance with the company's claims and decides whether to approve the claim.
Once the claims adjuster has approved your claim, the insurance adjuster will call you in to negotiate the final amount. If you dispute the amount, the claims adjuster will defend the insurance company. Or if you give in and accept their offer, the insurance company has two options, one is to give you a check and repair it yourself, or you can pay for the repair of the car directly and you don't have to worry about it.
If you want to become a claims adjuster, you'll need to get a high school diploma and prepare for the licenses you may need to obtain depending on the requirements of your area. They are required to be familiar with different types of insurance policies and to understand complex contract terms.
